Let’s face it: the latest poll results on young people’s attitudes are a wake-up call we can’t afford to ignore. Almost half of young Brits think their country is racist. Seriously? This is what happens when we let divisive narratives run wild without setting the record straight.
I spent years challenging these misconceptions, even launching a commission on ethnic disparities. I had to fight to show the evidence that the real left-behind group was disadvantaged white working-class boys, evidence dismissed by everyone from the Church of England to the BBC.
I got labelled a “Culture Warrior” for my trouble. One Labour MP said I was “the black face of white supremacy”.
• Gen Z think UK is racist and would not fight for their country
Now we have a Labour government reportedly discussing reparations for Britain’s racism and historical guilt. Far too many people have run scared of wading into this space for fear of the sort of abuse I got.
The result is the field is dominated by loony-left voices some of which are now in the government and a vacuum filled with the nihilistic rage of those who think no one is listening, but someone is listening. I am.
The Conservative Party is now under new leadership — my leadership. I’ve never been scared to tell the hard truths. Without them we solve nothing. One of those hard truths is that we need to start integrating across the board and creating a sense of belonging for everyone.
• Watch six Gen Zers, two Gen Xers — and one passionate debate
People think integration is something you do to foreigners, it is far more than that. We didn’t have to think about it before. Society naturally did the job not just of integrating newcomers who arrived at a more manageable pace and rate and often from countries with not dissimilar cultures, but also the work of integrating young people.
So what’s to be done? Certainly not more of the same. From citizenship tests to money funnelled to community leaders and charities, it has not worked. You cannot test for citizenship in an exam room. Citizenship is more than knowing the history of a country.
It is about actively wanting the success of your country and caring about it and the people in it more than those thousands of miles away.
• ‘I don’t want people to know that I’m British’
The reality is these so-called citizenship tests are really a foil for the fact that many people don’t want to think about a whole-society approach that requires them to get involved and just want government to sort it out. That is more of the same. It won’t work. The world is changing, government can’t do everything. Especially if when they try, they are criticised.
When I was in government every attempt to enforce something was met with endless obstruction, often using the law. I remember refusing to give a government grant to a band called Kneecap that had violent lyrics, extremely anti-British and pro-IRA.
I got taken to court but Labour have abandoned the court case. This is a government that believes there’s no point trying to defend our values, but these actions send signals to young people and newcomers about who we are and what we think is right or wrong.
It’s been 100 days since I became party leader, and my first priority is to rebuild trust with the public. Despite our efforts, many feel the Conservatives didn’t deliver over the past decade. I can’t fix the past, but I can look to the future.
Travelling the across the country I hear a common desire for real change and a solid plan, whether I’m visiting young people at a school or jaded workers at a factory.
Everyone is tired of empty promises. Labour had 14 years in opposition and arrived in government with no ideas. Reform channels the rage many young people feel, but has neither the experience nor the solutions to deal with them. I really do believe it’s up to Conservatives. The journey will be tough, but we have to succeed — we’re the only ones who can fix things.
These poll results are a call to action. We must work together to create a future where young people feel connected, valued, and proud of their country.
We need to instil a sense of pride and belonging in our youth. They should feel like they’re inheriting a legacy worth cherishing, not a burden to bear.
By addressing these issues head-on, we can ensure that the next generation inherits a legacy worth fighting for.
