Party leaders need to cool their rhetoric on Brexit after campaigning has ‘polarised’ the country and ‘legitimised hate’, says equalities watchdog
They suggest there needs to be a discussion about British values as the Government looks to formalise our EU exit
PARTY leaders should tone down their rhetoric on Brexit after campaigning has "polarised" the country and "legitimised hate", the equalities watchdog has said.
They have written to them suggesting there needs to be a discussion about British values as the Government looks to formalise the nation's divorce from Brussels.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said in a letter that racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic attacks which have taken place in the aftermath of the EU referendum result are "all stains on our society".
It reads: "We are concerned that attacks on supporters of both sides of the Brexit debate have polarised many parts of the country.
"There are those who used, and continue to use, public concern about immigration policy and the economy to legitimise hate.
"The vast majority of people who voted to leave the European Union did so because they believe it is best for Britain and not because they are intolerant of others."
The letter calls on the Government to do more to combat hate peddled by a "small minority"; as it also suggests there should be a review of the effectiveness of sentencing for hate crimes in England and Wales, including the ability to increase sentencing for crimes motivated by hate.
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It states that "politicians of all sides should be aware of the effect on national mood of their words and policies" even when those policies are not acted upon - like the Government's now-ditched proposal for companies to list foreign workers.
"Your offices bring with them a responsibility to ensure that policy debate is conducted in a way that brings the country together and moves it forward," the letter states.
Responding to the issue the Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green, who backed Remain, said he was "uncomfortable" with the abuse surrounding the Brexit debate.
He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "One of the things that's wrong with this country is the political discourse we have.
It's become abusive, it's become personal and it's not good for democracy so I suggest everyone on all sides of the Brexit argument or of any other argument, let's be civilised, let's agree that you can hold positions on either side of an argument and still respect each other. "
He added: "I feel uncomfortable about the level of abuse, personal abuse that has spread to some extent from social media where it's always been present, into mainstream political discussion. It's not good for the health of our politics."
And Sarah Champion, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, said the rise in hate crime since the EU referendum is a “wake-up call for all of us, politicians and media included”.
She added: “Politicians and the media have particular responsibility for the words and phrases we choose to use and recognise how this can contribute to creating a climate of fear, hatred and intolerance.
“The Government must take a strong lead in setting the tone for the country and produce a strategy on how they plan to curb the disturbing increase in racist and homophobic attacks since the referendum.”