The evidence shows that multiculturalism in the UK has succeeded in fostering a sense of belonging among minorities, but it has paid too little attention to how to sustain support among parts of the white population

David Cameron’s speech on immigration today warns of a ‘discomfort and disjointedness’ in communities with large immigrant populations. This speech, along with his earlier comments in February that “State multiculturalism” has been a failure, signal a new hardening of policy towards immigration and migrant communities by government. However, recent research by Alan Manning has found that separation between communities does not in fact create a feeling of alienation amongst migrant groups. The greatest failing of multiculturalism, is not that it has failed to create a sense of belonging among minorities, it is that the multicultural project has paid too little attention to how to sustain support among the white population.