Robust defence of British culture helps integration

CHRISTMAS and other expressions of our nation’s traditional culture are under threat because of mass immigration, according to a senior Government adviser on integration. The conclusions drawn by Dame Louise Casey are worrying but not surprising.

Dame Louise relates one incident where a local council chose not to put up “festive decorations” at Christmas for fear of offending Muslims. Of course no Muslim had asked for such a measure but a manager, desperate to do the right thing, went ahead anyway.

This episode demonstrates a wider problem. As a nation we have become weak at defending our own institutions, values and way of life. The moronic idea that it is somehow racist to express pride in Britain and its history has taken hold and prevented people from sharing and expressing their heartfelt patriotism.

This is a dangerous development that promises only to increase division within society. The shared rituals and customs of our country help to build bridges and foster a sense of community and civic pride.

If we want new arrivals, as we surely must, to integrate into our society we should be inviting them to take part in our traditions. Instead we have been shamefacedly abandoning many of the things that make Britain special in a bid to avoid upsetting a tiny minority.

But with hundreds of thousands of people coming here every year, maintaining a sense of national identity is easier said than done. Ministers must recognise the role that unfettered immigration has played in undermining our values and take action to bring the numbers down to a sustainable level.