UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that racism and intolerance have escalated in the country over the past decade, disrupting social cohesion and preventing people from participating in public life.
Starmer made the remarks after a member of parliament expressed concern that racism and related incitement to violence have become normalized, including among some politicians. The prime minister said, "We must tackle this problem because it is tearing our societies apart. Everyone in politics at every level in this country must condemn it."
Reuters report: Political discourse fuels racism
According to a report published by Reuters on Tuesday, hate speech and racist incidents linked to immigration are on the rise in the UK. Experts and union leaders warned that rhetoric from the government and other politicians has created a more tolerant environment for overt racism.
The report stated that although rare, wide-impact violent incidents are followed by attempts by right-wing activists and politicians to blame immigration, escalating tensions in a country long seen as a stable haven for immigrants and ethnic minorities.
According to Reuters, Britons from ethnic minorities fear the return of racist behavior associated with anti-immigration rhetoric and political emphasis on crime.
Tensions spill onto streets in Southampton and Belfast
In early June, violent protests erupted in the southern English city of Southampton the day after a British-born Sikh man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering student Henry Nowak. On the same day as the conviction, a video showing police handcuffing the dying victim's hands was released, fueling anger and prompting calls from various parties to abolish guidelines that require police to consider ethnicity in certain incidents.
A week later, in the Northern Irish capital Belfast, masked groups raided the homes of immigrants after a white man lost an eye in a knife attack by a Sudanese migrant.
Hate crimes on the rise
Hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales increased for the first time in three years in the year ending March 2025. Race-based crimes rose by 6 percent to 82,490 incidents.
