Portrait of David Cameron
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David Cameron on Multiculturalism

Rejects 'state multiculturalism' (strong)

TL;DR

David Cameron strongly rejected state multiculturalism, arguing it encouraged cultural separation rather than shared national identity.

Key Points

  • He publicly stated in February 2011 that "state multiculturalism has failed" because it led to cultural separation.

  • He advocated for a policy of "muscular liberalism" to actively promote core national values, distinct from 'passive tolerance'.

  • He pledged to cease public funding for organisations that did not support universal human rights and equality before the law.

Summary

David Cameron declared that "state multiculturalism has failed" in a February 2011 speech, arguing that the doctrine encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from the mainstream, and failed to provide a cohesive national vision for belonging. He contrasted this with a need for a "muscular liberalism" that actively promotes core British values like free speech, democracy, and equality before the law. The Prime Minister stressed the importance of distinguishing between Islam as a religion and Islamist extremism as a political ideology, asserting that extremism, not faith, was the root problem driving terrorism.

His stance called for a shift towards actively promoting a shared national identity open to everyone, alongside confronting non-violent extremism. This approach involved better vetting of publicly funded organisations to ensure they supported integration and core values. The speech was noted for drawing parallels between Islamist extremism and far-right views, while simultaneously causing internal division within his coalition government regarding the tone and focus on non-Islamist extremism.

Key Quotes

state multiculturalism has failed

Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and a much more active, muscular liberalism. A passively tolerant society says to its citizens, as long as you obey the law we will just leave you alone. But I believe a genuinely liberal country does much more; it believes in certain values and actively promotes them. Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, democracy, the rule of law, equal rights regardless of race, sex or sexuality.

Frequently Asked Questions

David Cameron's position was strongly negative towards what he termed 'state multiculturalism', which he believed fostered societal division. He advocated instead for a stronger emphasis on shared national identity and the active promotion of core British liberal values.

In a high-profile speech in Munich in February 2011, David Cameron declared that state multiculturalism had failed. He argued that it had encouraged groups to live separately, leading to rootlessness among some young people, which could contribute to extremism.

Yes, his strong denouncement of multiculturalism sparked internal debate within his coalition government. His comments were seen by some Liberal Democrat colleagues as overly harsh and failing to condemn far-right extremism mentioned in the same context.