LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood before parliament on Wednesday and delivered a stark warning: racism and intolerance in Britain have grown significantly worse over the past decade, and the problem is eroding the country’s social fabric while pushing people away from public life.
His remarks came just one day after a Reuters report revealed that many Britons of colour are increasingly worried about a resurgence of racist attitudes. That report tied those fears to anti-migrant rhetoric and a political emphasis on crime, as well as recent unrest — including protests in Southampton following the murder of Henry Nowak and rioting in Belfast after a stabbing attack.
When pressed by lawmakers, Starmer declared that “racism and intolerance is permeating everywhere.”
The prime minister was responding to a fellow lawmaker who expressed concern that racism and the incitement of violence connected to it were becoming normalized — and that some politicians were contributing to that trend.
Starmer made clear the stakes were high. “We have to deal with it, because it’s tearing our societies apart,” he said, adding that “it should be called out by every single person who is a politician at any level in this country.”
He also reflected on the 2016 killing of Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong advocate for immigration and social unity who was murdered by a far-right extremist just days before the Brexit referendum. Starmer said that when he recently thought back on her death, he felt things had gotten worse — not better — in the years since.
The Reuters report from the previous day included warnings from trade unions and professional organizations about an increase in racist abuse in workplaces and public settings, set against the backdrop of growing tensions following unrest across the United Kingdom.
Nigel Farage, who leads the populist party Reform UK, has claimed that British institutions discriminate against white people, arguing those institutions are skewed by policies designed to support ethnic minorities. Starmer has dismissed those claims.
On the overall tone of political discourse, Starmer offered a direct challenge to his fellow politicians: “That’s on us to fix — every single member of this house, whatever their party is and anybody who inflames it should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.”
