"The government is aware that society is fragmenting into tribes - but if they are talking about creating common values for different faith groups, what are they?" - Munira Mirza, multiculturalism researcher [Source: The BBC]'The New Face of Britain' - Photo courtesy of BBC
British society is facing challenges that threaten its record on uniting ethnic groups, says Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly
Tensions between people of different ethnic groups and faiths in British society must be tackled, says Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly.
Ms Kelly launched a Commission on Integration and Cohesion, calling for a "new and honest" debate on diversity. UK 'must tackle ethnic tensions'
The full text of Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly's speech launching the new commission to look at how to counter tensions between people of different ethnic groups and religions. In full: Ruth Kelly speechRuth Kelly, in her speech, stated that she believes that Britian’s diversity is a huge asset to our country – economically, culturally, and socally.
She stated that immigration had helped transform the economy: it had supported growth and had boosted productivity. She went on to say that immigration had helped enrich our cultural life; and migrant workers had been vital to supporting our public services.
She added that in the government’s attempt to avoid imposing a single British identity and culture, she asked the question if we have ended up with some communities living in isolation of each other, with no common bonds between them.
She is setting up a commission to look into the problems.
She went on to say that the UK needed a “controlled, well managed [sic] system of immigration that has clear rules and integrity to counter exploitation from the far right”.
She rejected totally that faith schools – which are burgeoning here – are bad for the UK. She said that it was important to offer “choice”.
I should like to say the following…
I should like someone to show me how all this immigration and diversity has been a “huge asset” to the UK. It seems to me that the UK was doing pretty well before the advent of mass immigration. The UK used to be homogenous and well-integrated. There was already a great diversity in the UK. Look at the English, the Scots, the Irish, the Welsh, the Cornish, etc. We survived well without Islamic culture infiltrating our society.
But what is equally galling is that this mass immigration has been allowed to go on without consulting the people. This is an insult to democracy – the system of government whose virtues these very same people espouse.
If immigration has helped to transform the economy, it certainly hasn’t helped the cause of lowering taxation. Because of immigration, ever-increasing amounts of money have to be thrown at the security services in order to keep the British safe from “Islamic terrorism” and the jihad.
Not everything in an economy can be, or even should be, measured in terms of economic growth. Perhaps it is time people realized that ever-increasing economic growth can impose too high a price on the community as a whole. Businessmen should not be allowed to run the system!
That migrant workers may be vital to support our public services is an indictment on the economic policies of successive governments. Our leaders – past and present – should have seen these problems coming, and should have done all in their power to encourage an increase in the birthrate. But what has it done? Sweet Fanny Adams!
She admitted that the government had attempted to avoid “imposing a single British identity and culture” on the people. Well, now the truth is coming out! This is the very thing they should have been doing: They should have been encouraging homogeneity. How on earth can a country function as a homogenous whole when such diversity is encouraged. This flies in the face of the American “melting pot” theory – a theory that worked so well for the States for so long.
She has also rejected the idea that faith schools, the type of schools which are being encouraged in this country, are so detrimental to integration. If children are taught separately, especially when they are taught values diametrically-opposed to the values of the country as a whole, then we are most certainly encouraging tribalism, and we are shoring up colossal problems for ourselves for the future.
Little wonder that Munira Mirza, a multiculturalism researcher, has stated that British society is fragmenting into tribes! And the process of fragmentation into tribes will continue unabated until something is done about absurd government policies. Verily, I say unto you: Tony Blair and his government have been nothing short of a disaster, a catastrophe, for this country. It is high time for him to resign and hang his head in shame!
©Mark Alexander