London Gypsies and Travellers has joined 28 other Romany Gypsy, Roma and Traveller charities and activists responding to the leader of Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch’s recent comments linking their communities with criminality.
On 9th June 2026, Kemi Badenoch delivered a speech during which she made the following statement: “Confidence in our institutions is now collapsing. And how could it not? When people can see, as in my own constituency, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities breaking laws that no one else would get away with.”
The statement was made during Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month. The open letter calls for the remarks to be clarified and withdrawn, for cross-party condemnation of rhetoric that attributes criminality to entire communities, and for public discourse about our communities to be grounded in evidence, dignity and individual responsibility. The statement’s publication coincides with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Travellers and Roma publishing its own open letter expressing deep concern about the comments.
The letter states: “Criminal responsibility belongs to individuals. It should never be attributed to entire ethnic groups.”
Rhianna Ketley, Community Development and Campaigns Lead at London Gypsies and Travellers said: “Kemi Badenoch’s speech is irresponsible and fuels harmful rhetoric against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. We call on Kemi Badenoch to specifically retract her remarks and apologise for saying in a generalised way that Gypsies, Roma and Travellers break the law with impunity.”
The full open statement can be viewed here.
The full speech made by Kemi Badenoch can be viewed here, with the quote referred to at 29:12 minutes.
Media enquiries: media@londongandt.org.uk
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