Community Cohesion Seminar

Earlier this week, Deborah spoke at the Community Cohesion Seminar. The speech is below:

"I would like to touch on the Conservative vision for Community Cohesion.

Last October the conservatives set out their vision for Community Cohesion.

Sayeeda Warsi, who is the first Female Muslim to be appointed to any cabinet of any political party, called for an end to minority communities being treated as a homogenous block by central government and she set out a challenge to british Muslims to create a safety net for young minds that may be influenced by extremist beliefs.

Last year the Commission for Racial Equality published their final report, which said that Britain is more divided a nation now, than it was 10 years ago.

This is a disappointing indictment of the last decade. But we shouldn’t lose heart, because here in Britain we have a proud history of meeting the challenge of bringing people of different backgrounds together.

Community cohesion is how we all live together with ease, how we feel comfortable in our communities and the way in which we bind together as a nation.

It is an issue which we fundamentally have to get right, to ensure a future Britain that is safe and stable.

It is why David Cameron has it made it a Shadow cabinet responsibility and apponted Baroness Warsi.

As a  party we understand the seriousness of it.

I would like to move away from the approach to our minority communities by treating them as a faceless homogenous block and reliance upon self appointed community leaders, mainly men, which has left many of your communities unheard. Many Asian women who I’ve met, told me I was the first politician to canvass their views.

Women who are the bedrock of your communities. But who too often have been forgotten and left behind. We will engage with individuals as individuals, as equal members of our society on the issues that impact on their lives and not on the basis of their colour or religion.

We will ensure that priorities on cohesion are not dictated at the centre, but will trust communities to develop their own local approach to social cohesion, as you are doing here at the Nightingale Centre.

Where funding is not earmarked from the centre and not distributed on the basis of race or religion but on the basis of need and equality. And we must have these difficult debates, and must not allow political correctness to stifle legitimate discussion and fundamentally we must ensure that all are included in our vision of community cohesion.

We must not do what the Government have done – talking tough and eroding our civil liberties. The 90 day or 42 day as now proposed, it could be any random number. There is simply no evidence to show this is needed.

As a Conservative I believe in localism. I believe communities provide the best solutions when they are trusted to lead. I believe you can’t bully people into being British – we have to inspire them. To make all Britains whatever their background, whatever their colour, whichever their faith, feel they have a stake in today’s Britain.

Its time to deliver this vision, the Conservative vision of cohesion.

It’s time for change."