Parallel Lives

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By Becky MortonPolitical reporter

Rishi Sunak has repeatedly declined to say if he agrees with his home secretary's view that multiculturalism has " failed" in the UK.

In a Speech on Tuesday, Suella Braverman said multiculturalism was a " misguided dogma" which had allowed people to " live Parallel Lives ".

Asked if she was wrong, the PM told The Bbc the UK had " done an incredible job of integrating people into society".

However, he added that " there's always more progress we can make".

Addressing a US Think Tank in Washington earlier This Week , Mrs Braverman said: " Multiculturalism makes no demands of the incomer to integrate.

" It has failed because it allowed people to come to our society and live Parallel Lives in it. . And, in extreme cases, they could pursue lives aimed at undermining the stability and threatening the security of society. "

She added: " We Are living with the consequence of that failure today. You can see it play out in The Streets all over Europe from Malmo to Paris, Brussels to Leicester. "

Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow and local Labour politicians were among those to criticise her comments, with Leicester MPs Jonathan Ashworth and Liz Kendall describing them as " ignorant and offensive".

Last September, involving mainly Young Men from sections of The City 's Muslim and Hindu communities.

In an interview with BBC East Midlands Political Editor Tony Roe , the Prime Minister was asked if he agreed with his home secretary that multiculturalism had failed in cities like Leicester.

In response, He Said : " My mum's from Leicester so it's a place that I know incredibly well… I think that this is something that is incredible about This Country , is that it is a fantastic multicultural democracy. "

Mr Sunak, who is the UK's first British Asian Prime Minister , added: " We have done an incredible job of integrating people into society And One of the lovely things about getting The Job I have as the First Person from my background to hold this job, that's a wonderful thing, but it's also not a Big Deal in Our Country .

" I think that speaks to the progress we've made over The Years and how far we've come and something we should all be collectively incredibly proud of. "

Pressed if he believed Mrs Braverman was wrong, the Prime Minister said: " I'm saying Our Country has done an incredibly good job of integrating people from lots of different backgrounds.

" It's important that everyone subscribes to British values. That's The Thing that unites us and binds us together. "

Downing Street has previously said Mr Sunak signed off the home secretary's Speech .

for comments in her Speech that The International asylum system was no longer fit for purpose and that fearing discrimination for being gay or A Woman should not be enough to qualify for refugee protection.

The United Nations refugee agency rejected her argument, saying the 1951 Refugee Convention " remains a life-saving instrument" and did not need " more restrictive interpretation".

The Prime Minister was speaking to local BBC political editors and radio stations in a series of interviews ahead of the Conservative Party conference this weekend.

Earlier, he repeatedly refused to say whether the HS2 high-speed rail line would run to Manchester, amid speculation The Second leg of The Line is to be scrapped.

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Source of news: bbc.com