Racing towards a more fragmented, divided and unequal society

By Lisa Nandy MP / @lisanandy

Though the headlines have been dominated by prisoners’ votes, there were two political developments this week that I think are likely to have a much more profound and immediate impact. The first was Cameron’s multiculturalism speech, and the second, simultaneous development, was Tuesday’s second reading of the Education Bill.

When I read the text of Cameron’s speech, beyond the inflammatory headlines, there were parts of it that I agreed with. There were also sections that I thought were muddled, unhelpful and just plain wrong. More problematic than this though was the context.

Much has been made of the glaringly obvious fact that Cameron chose to make the speech on the day the EDL descended on Luton. It can’t have escaped his notice that it would provide them with encouragement. That the leader of the BNP said it was a huge leap forward for their ideas in the political mainstream and Marine Le Pen welcomed it wholeheartedly was to be expected.

That Cameron chose also to focus exclusively on Islam at a conference about security and terrorism is worrying. As is the fact that he seemed to suggest the Muslim community should take responsibility for extremists without any hint that he would expect the same in relation to the EDL or other violent fascist groups. It may signal the battleground the Tories intend to fight in the next election and, as someone who represents a seat with a small but pernicious BNP presence, that prospect sends shivers down my spine.

The central theme of Cameron’s speech – unity, inclusion and a shared set of common values – could not be more at odds with what was played out in Tuesday’s passage of the Education Bill. This flagship Tory Bill undermines the central thesis of state education: that it is held and managed in trust for the good of the wider community. It introduces unprecedented competition and inequality in resources between schools and as such it makes virtually inevitable an increasing income segregation. Moreover it provides for the aggressive expansion of free schools – the majority of which are faith schools – exposing the reality behind the vision of shared identity Cameron outlined on Saturday.

In the same week as Cameron said he wanted all immigrants to speak English, (something I support along with most of the migrants I have worked with) I met with the Refugee Council to discuss the Government’s ban on English language classes for all but a small number of refugees and immigrants. This is why, when you see first-hand the consequences of this Government’s actions, it is not the detail of Cameron’s speech, but the context that is all important. We are racing towards a more fragmented, divided and unequal society and that should be a source of deep concern for us all.