English identity is under threat from mass immigration and the metropolitan elite, Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick has warned.
The Conservative hopeful has raised concerns over the effects of a mix of “unprecedented migration… the dismantling of our national culture, non-integrating multiculturalism and the denigration of our identity” – which he said has “presented huge problems”.
Though he called the UK an “open and tolerant nation, perhaps more so than any other country on Earth” where “people of every background have not just come to England, but, over time, become both English and British”, he raised fears over the sheer scale of immigration to this country.
The influx of migrants has taken its toll on England’s “culture, customs and cohesion” – putting the “very idea of England at risk”, Jenrick wrote in the Mail.
An influx of migrants has taken its toll on England’s “culture, customs and cohesion”
PA
Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick has raised fears over the erosion of English identity
PA
While economically, a surge in mass migration has left neither England nor the rest of the UK any richer, he said.
Despite the public having “consistently voted against all of this”, he said the mood among the metropolitan elite – who “actively disapprove” of this country’s culture and history – is far removed from that of everyday English people.
The establishment has “denigrated and mocked expressions of English identity” – while its members “seem happier celebrating other cultures instead”, he added.
Jenrick cautioned how “those in Westminster are underestimating the depth of anger in the country” – and warned how it will be impossible to “heal our divided nation if we refuse to confront complex issues about identity”.
MORE FROM ROBERT JENRICK:
Jenrick said the riots were a result of “inter-communal violence, radicalisation and diminishing trust in our communities” coming to a head
PA
He also leaned into commentary on Britain’s summer of unrest, which saw riots and anti-immigration protests sweep towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland in the wake of the Southport stabbings.
The prospective Tory leader said the riots were a result of “inter-communal violence, radicalisation and diminishing trust in our communities” coming to a head.
His response has been to call for “a frank discussion” on “the state of the nation [and] the state of England, in particular – as England is where most of the rioting occurred, and it was the St George’s flag that some misappropriated.”
Policy-wise, he has also tabled a proposal to cap net migration to fewer than 100,000 people every year – as well as reviving the Rwanda deterrent – in a move designed to put the UK’s “own citizens first”.
Jenrick is currently leading Kemi Badenoch (centre-left), James Cleverly (right) and Tom Tugendhat (left) in the Conservative leadership race
PA
Jenrick is currently out in front in the Conservative leadership race, having won the most votes from Tory MPs in the party’s first two ballots.
In the latest round, Jenrick added five votes to his tally – but failed to extend his lead over fellow heavyweight Kemi Badenoch, who added six, and now trails him by five.
With Jenrick and Badenoch – closer to the right of the party – leading centrist hopefuls Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly, it remains to be seen whether Tory MPs will rally around a “wing” and end up nominating one candidate from either camp to contest the membership vote between October 10 and October 31.