Multicultural Britain can survive without Multiculturalism

Ruth Kelly took the brave step last week of openly questioning multiculturalism. To have done such a thing even a few years ago would have been tantamount to political suicide. But in the aftermath of 7/7 and following the alleged airline bomb plot, Ruth Kelly is stating what has been abundantly obvious to many of us for years.

Even the leader of the Commission for Racial Equality, Trevor Phillips, declared that multiculturalism was out of date and no longer useful, not least because it encouraged “separateness” between communities. Earlier this year, he went further and said that Muslims who wish to live under sharia law should leave Britain.

For too long the multiculturalism industry has demanded that all cultures are equal and that integrating immigrants with the host culture is racist. A recent survey by the Pew Global Attitudes project illustrates the legacy left by all of this: Whilst public opinion in Britain is mostly favourable towards Muslims, the feeling has not been reciprocated amongst British Muslims, who are among the most anti-western in Europe.

Maybe we can finally have an honest debate on the subject, which for too long has veered between the two extremes of Powellism at one end and political correctness on the other. We should follow the lead of the United States which is multicultural without subscribing to multiculturalism. We should welcome immigrants from around the world, but we also have the right to demand that they accept our values: If an Immigrant isn't prepared to sign up to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, you have to ask them exactly what it is they're doing here?