Immigration, diversity and multiculturalism became central themes of the Conservative conference – as leading government ministers offered starkly contrasting views of the state of the nation. Home Secretary Suella Braverman extended her warning about how what she now called a “hurricane” of immigration could combine with the “toxic failures” of multiculturalism to present an existential threat to British democracy and society. Yet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke very differently in declaring that “this United Kingdom is also the most successful multi-ethnic democracy on earth” while Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch told the conference that there was no better country on earth in which to be black, because Britain is a country that “looks beyond labels”.
At our conference fringe meeting, Conservative ministers Nus Ghani and Steve Baker both called for government ministers to strive for language on issues of identity and race that could bridge divides rather than widen them. The event, which brought together political and civic society voices to try to make sense of these competing arguments about race and identity, was co-hosted by British Future, Black Equity Organisation, Conservatives Against Racism for Equality (CARFE) and the 2022 group.
Nus Ghani MP, who was the first female Muslim MP to serve as a minister in the British government, said that “as frontline politicians we have a responsibility to reduce divisions in our society, not to widen them by playing to the gallery.”
“When I hear the words ‘multiculturalism has failed’ I take it personally”, she said, “And I agree with Rishi Sunak that the UK has done a great job of integrating people into society.”
“I came to this country and I can assure you that neither I nor my family ‘undermine the stability and threaten the security of society,” Ghani added. “As a proud Muslim, Conservative and Government Minister I am the epitome of successful multiculturalism and I’m fed up hearing that we as a country have failed in it,” she said, though she also felt that the language of multiculturalism increasingly felt outdated to emerging generations.
“We should care very much about how we are heard,” Steve Baker told the fringe meeting. Baker, Minister for Northern Ireland and MP for High Wycombe, is best known for being a champion of Brexit and leader of the European Research Group. He told the fringe that he remains a believer in Brexit – including the opportunity to have an approach to immigration that treats those from Europe, Asia and Africa more equitably – while wanting politicians to depolarise the public conversation about identity issues.
“Over many years Conservatives have seemed complacent about race relations,” Baker told the fringe, arguing that there were limits to responding to calls for change by mainly emphasising Britain’s comparative record against other countries. “It is true to say that this is not a racist country by international standards. But we need to do better than just stating that – even if it is factually true,” he said.
“Social media means that the world has become a tiny place,” Baker said, which leads to the risk that debate can be dominated by the most polarising voices. He argued that a constructive conversation about race depended on finding more empathy when engaging with differences. Baker recommended a ratio of “two ears and one mouth” would be a useful ratio for those, like himself, from the white majority group. “As a person who has never suffered racism, I feel we should listen more than we talk if we want to understand where people are coming from and why.”
Yet he also reflected on his experience of trying to engage with the term ‘white privilege,’ which brought heavy criticism from those who shared his own white working-class background. That showed how the language used could become a barrier to constructive progress, he said – preferring to recognise the reality of discrimination and disadvantage in ways that were less likely to polarise or be misunderstood.
Samuel Kasumu noted that the Britain of 2048 – in a quarter of a century’s time – would have a level of ethnic diversity comparable to that of London today, with around four out of ten voters being from ethnic minority groups. “The presence of diverse ministers alone has not and will not improve the Conservative Party’s electoral prospects in engaging with Britain’s growing diversity,” he said, noting that “there is an uncomfortable tension between the Conservative Party and the black population – and it has got worse over time.”
Kasumu, a former No10 advisor, called for the party to develop an aspirational and unifying message that it could take confidently across all groups in society. But the party still had considerable work to do in establishing “what a patriotic and inclusive offer could look like,” he said.
Siobhan Aarons of the Conservatives Against Racism for Equality group said that an electorally successfully party would need to find the centre ground in society, with an offer that could address intergenerational fairness and appeal to aspirations shared across minority and majority groups.
“There is no one black community,” Wanda Wyporska of the Black Equity Organisaton told the fringe meeting. “If we don’t talk about class alongside race, then we are really missing a trick,” she added. Wyporska warned too that new rules on voter ID were having a disproportionate impact on ethnic minority participation. Of the 1.2% of voters turned away at the local elections, over half had been from ethnic minorities.
Nus Ghani also warned that the party had failed to learn the lessons of Zac Goldsmith’s controversial campaign for London Mayor in 2016. She was responding to comments the previous evening by London Mayoral candidate Susan Hall, who had told a Conservative Friends of Israel reception that “I know how frightened some of the [Jewish] community are because of the divisive attitude of Sadiq Khan.” This had been challenged by the Board of Deputies who had said the Mayor had always treated the community with friendship and respect. Ghani talked about the value of her relationship with the Board of Deputies in working to tackle antisemitism, and valuing the strength of its commitment to fostering positive Jewish-Muslim engagement, in calling for the comments to be withdrawn.
Ghani said: “The language of fear and demonising our political opponents is not a Conservative value I recognise and we shouldn’t stoop to it. Furthermore such comments don’t work politically when they attract condemnation from those they purport to support. Have we learnt nothing from Zac Goldsmith’s similar attempt in his mayoral campaign that ended in abject failure?” She hoped that the candidate would reflect and withdraw the remarks.
Baker agreed with Ghani’s comments on the proper boundaries of political arguments. He added the caveat that “politicians speaking up for persecuted minorities is a good thing to do,” and that sincere efforts to tackle antisemitism and insecurity were important. However, Baker noted that a key legitimacy test of a sincere and effective effort to speak up would be having engaged with key stakeholders from the minority group concerned, to check that what was being said about their views was accurate and legitimate.
The audience contributions at the fringe meeting further demonstrated the appetite for constructive discussion of race. But they also highlighted the challenge for bridging voices, not to be crowded-out of the public conversation in the heat of the media and political arguments heading into a General Election year.
;
