No one will be left behind in a Tory Britain (Op-Ed by British Tory Leader David Cameron)

The Observer ^ | January 28, 2007 | David Cameron

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The subject of community cohesion, for understandable reasons, has become prominent in our national conversation over the past few years. But it is a challenge we have faced before: the question of how we live together is as old as humanity itself. Throughout history, there have been periods when Britain has not been entirely comfortable with itself or individual communities within it. Who would now question the contribution made by Jewish people to British society - or even talk about there being a conflict between being British and Jewish? And yet, only 50 years ago, this was exactly the debate going on in both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. More recently, Britain's Irish community was questioning and being questioned about its loyalty to Britain.

Each time, over time, we have kept our country together by having faith in our institutions and our way of doing things: freedom under the rule of law, a common culture defined by pluralism and tolerance and a distinctively British approach (calm, thoughtful, reasonable) to potentially incendiary issues. The challenge today may have its own specific characteristics, but our approach should be the same. In that context, I am concerned by the direction that the debate on cohesion has taken recently. I believe it is time for a more British approach. First, we must not fall for the illusion that the problems of community cohesion can be solved simply through top-down, quick-fix state action. State action is certainly necessary today, but it is not sufficient. Second, it must be the right kind of action, expressed in a calm, thoughtful and reasonable way.

The doctrine of multiculturalism has undermined our nation's sense of cohesion because it emphasises what divides us rather than what brings us together. It has been manipulated to entrench the right to difference (a

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There is no easy short cut. Having tried to impose democracy in Iraq at the point of a gun, we must surely realise that we will never impose cohesion at home with the ping of a press release.

Certainly it is proper conservative logic to say that difficult problems aren't instantly fixed with band aids mailed in from remote central government offices. But on the question of "trying to impose democracy at the point of a gun," a certain moral strength is required to appreciate the proper formulation of the issue.

The issue of democracy - the rule of the people, by the people, and for the people - is not an issue of forcing the people to do it - everyone wants a say in the ordering of their own affairs. The issue of democracy is preventing - yes, at the point and, as necessary, firing of a gun - the few from dominationg the government at the pointing of their guns.