Don't come here if you don't like it, warns Blair
8th December 2006
Tony Blair: Crackdown on funding for religious groups
Tony Blair today issued a strong warning to ethnic minorities that if they do not like Britain, they should not come here.
The Prime Minister said "British tolerance" was the hallmark of the country and was a non-negotiable part of living here.
He used a keynote speech on ethnic minority relations to wade into the debate on multiculturalism for the first time, and promised a crackdown on groups who refuse to integrate into the British way of life.
Speaking at a lecture in Downing Street, he said: "London is perhaps the most popular capital city in the world today partly because it is hospitable to so many different nationalities, mixing, working, conversing with each other.
"But we protect this attitude by defending it. Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain, Britain. So conform to it; or don't come here."
In his action plan, he warned of a series of measures to prevent ethnic communities from living in isolation, including:
• Compulsory twinning of faith schools.
• Proposals to raise the age at which arranged-marriage brides can come to the UK.
• A probe into mosques which do not allow women.
• A ban on funding groups which prevent integration.
In the strongest words yet used by a minister, he said: "We don't want the hatemongers, whatever their race, religion or creed.
"You, and all of us who want to, can worship God in our own way, take pride in our cultures after our own fashion, respect our histories according to our own traditions; but in a shared space of shared values. The right to be different. The duty to integrate. That is what being British means."
Blair's comments come as Chancellor Gordon Brown waded into the row over politically correct bans on Christmas by attacking children's playgroups which hold "winter" celebrations.
The Chancellor used a speech to Muslims, Hindus and other faiths to declare that no community in Britain was offended by festivities to mark Christ's birth.
He revealed that that even Labour's Sure Start children's groups had been holding alternative "winter" events in a bid to avoid offending ehtnic minorities.
Speaking in Wembley, Mr Brown said: "Children of all faiths, all over Britain, will be looking forward to Christmas in a few weeks' time and it is right that they celebrate."
dailymail.co.uk
8th December 2006
Tony Blair: Crackdown on funding for religious groups
Tony Blair today issued a strong warning to ethnic minorities that if they do not like Britain, they should not come here.
The Prime Minister said "British tolerance" was the hallmark of the country and was a non-negotiable part of living here.
He used a keynote speech on ethnic minority relations to wade into the debate on multiculturalism for the first time, and promised a crackdown on groups who refuse to integrate into the British way of life.
Speaking at a lecture in Downing Street, he said: "London is perhaps the most popular capital city in the world today partly because it is hospitable to so many different nationalities, mixing, working, conversing with each other.
"But we protect this attitude by defending it. Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain, Britain. So conform to it; or don't come here."
In his action plan, he warned of a series of measures to prevent ethnic communities from living in isolation, including:
• Compulsory twinning of faith schools.
• Proposals to raise the age at which arranged-marriage brides can come to the UK.
• A probe into mosques which do not allow women.
• A ban on funding groups which prevent integration.
In the strongest words yet used by a minister, he said: "We don't want the hatemongers, whatever their race, religion or creed.
"You, and all of us who want to, can worship God in our own way, take pride in our cultures after our own fashion, respect our histories according to our own traditions; but in a shared space of shared values. The right to be different. The duty to integrate. That is what being British means."
Blair's comments come as Chancellor Gordon Brown waded into the row over politically correct bans on Christmas by attacking children's playgroups which hold "winter" celebrations.
The Chancellor used a speech to Muslims, Hindus and other faiths to declare that no community in Britain was offended by festivities to mark Christ's birth.
He revealed that that even Labour's Sure Start children's groups had been holding alternative "winter" events in a bid to avoid offending ehtnic minorities.
Speaking in Wembley, Mr Brown said: "Children of all faiths, all over Britain, will be looking forward to Christmas in a few weeks' time and it is right that they celebrate."
dailymail.co.uk
