Demos: Abandon multiculturalism
Britain must abandon multiculturalism if it wants to build a strong, tolerant and inclusive sense of national identity, a new report argues.
A study published by think tank Demos and written by Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable argues that instead of fostering each communities’ sense of identity, Britain should build a ‘multiple’ identity.
This, according to Mr Cable, would acknowledge that most people belong to a number of different communities, whether national, ethnic, geographic or religious, “combined with a strong commitment to the rights of the individual and law and order”.
“We have to learn to live with the politics of identity which promotes an open and inclusive society,” he said.
“The threat to harmonious social relations in Britain comes from those who insist that multiple identity is not possible: white supremacists, English nationalists, Islamic fundamentalists.
“This is the opposition and they have to be confronted. An important element in that confrontation is the assertion of a sense of Britishness.”
Debate over multiculturalism has intensified in the wake of the July 7th attacks, where four British-born Muslims blew themselves up on the London transport network.
Conservative home affairs spokesman David Davis called for multiculturalism to be scrapped, while the government this summer carried out a series of meetings to establish how many young, disaffected Muslims could be integrated into mainstream society.
In today’s report, Demos sets out proposals to introduce a system of managed immigration based on economic need, similar to the ‘green card’ system operated in the US.
It foresees the creation of a new government body that would periodically assess Britain’s economic need for new migrants. Quotas would then be issued to individuals or employers.
