Former prime minister says Britain must reject divisive rhetoric as debate over national identity intensifies.
Rishi Sunak has pushed back against racially charged attacks on his identity, describing himself as “British, English and British Asian” and warning that the UK risks normalising language once considered unacceptable.
Speaking to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, Sunak said Britain must guard against a return to overt racism, arguing that inflammatory commentary is increasingly rewarded in today’s attention-driven media culture.
Identity Row Sparks Wider Political Debate
The intervention follows a public row triggered by podcaster Konstantin Kisin, who claimed Sunak could not be English because he is a “brown-skinned Hindu”. The remarks reignited debate over British identity, citizenship, and race.
The controversy escalated when Suella Braverman, now a Reform MP, said she did not consider herself English and questioned whether people born in Britain necessarily held that identity.
Reform UK by-election candidate Matthew Goodwin later declined to distance himself from claims that UK-born ethnic minorities were not automatically British.
Racism Stings in a Way Other Things Don’t” — Former PM Rishi Sunak
Sunak said racist abuse he and his siblings faced growing up in Southampton remains “seared” in his memory, describing racism as uniquely corrosive.
“Racism stings in a way other things don’t,” he said, warning Britain against “slipping back” to an era when such language was openly tolerated.
He criticised what he described as modern “shock-jockery”, saying provocative and bigoted rhetoric is increasingly used to generate clicks and attention.
“The attention economy rewards outrage,” Sunak said. “That is deeply worrying, because it shifts what society treats as acceptable.”
Commission on Cohesion and Extremism
Sunak was giving evidence to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, co-chaired by Sajid Javid and Jon Cruddas.
The commission aims to rebuild trust and cohesion following the Southport tragedy and subsequent riots.
The work is supported by the Together Coalition, founded by Brendan Cox, the husband of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox.
Sunak acknowledged that racism is less overt today than in previous decades, referencing Javid’s accounts of growing up in 1970s Rochdale, but warned against complacency.
“There’s always more we can do,” he said. “Racist language should never be normalised, whether on the street or on television.”
“British Identity Is Not a Zero-Sum Game”
The former Conservative leader said British identity allows room for multiple cultural and personal identities.
“We’re all British,” he said. “Alongside that, people can hold different identities without conflict.”
“I’m British. I’m British Asian. I’m British Hindu. I’m English. I’m a Sotonian. And I’m an apprentice Yorkshireman.”
Sunak, who remains MP for Richmond and Northallerton, also reflected on immigration policy, saying he wished action to reduce net migration had been taken sooner.
Warning on Extremism and Street Violence
Addressing unrest that spilled into violence in 2024, Sunak said it was “evident something has gone wrong”, arguing that Islamist extremists and the far right were “feeding off each other”.
He rejected claims that Britain is a racist country, pointing to his own career and Javid’s, and noting that his successor as Conservative leader is a Black woman who grew up in Nigeria.
The comments followed a speech by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who warned against allowing migration debates to be exploited “by people who think whiteness is the same thing as Britishness”.
