Britishness must be a civic, not national, identity.

Speakers: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Leighton Andrews, Vincent Cable, Jonathan Heawood, Jude Kelly, David Lammy

A concept of Britishness which demands pledges of allegiance will not unite modern Britain, commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown told the culture and difference session of the Fabian Britishness conference.

"I detest when people tell me what I have to swear to, if this is the future of Britishness you can stuff it. I can't buy into Gordon Brown's Britishness as defined today; it defines, for me, something I detested as I was growing up", said Alibhai-Brown, the first regular British Muslim newspaper columnist.

Arguing that there was an urgent need to define Britishness positively, Alibhai-Brown warned that neither Brown's idea of Britishness nor post-war multiculturalism were capable of achieving this.

"Multiculturalism allowed institutions never to change who held power and who decided the agenda." Her prescription for Britishness is a "civic identity, an equal identity and one where we interrogate ourselves. We have to agree that there are non-negotiable values, for example no-one should argue that culture should excuse gender discrimination."

Cultural Minister David Lammy argued that "Respect and anti-social behaviour is part of the diatribe about ASBOs, but the debate is problematic if solely occupied by the Home Office, What's important to understand is what stops young people going down that road is my department."

Jude Kelly argued that "cultural institutions have to be prepared to and allowed to speak of British values. Unless political institutions allow culture to have this engagement you cannot have a culture of value." Kelly argued that the government's respect agenda has significant limitations, as "respect requires you to engage in a totally different expertise, our nation should be a multi learning space". Kelly asked, to applause from the audience, "Where are the common spaces where politicians can participate, but not dominate?"

Welsh Assembly Member Leighton Andrews called for a distinction between "Britishness as a civic identity as opposed to national or racial identity". Andrews called for civic ceremonies to be multi-faith ceremonies.

Vincent Cable MP, described multiculturalism as "a very good first response, which accorded people respect, but there is a growing consensus that we've moved on somewhat from that." Cable argued for a minimum core content of Britishness, which he described as "adhering to the law of the land and not much more". Cable explained that he opposed the incitement to religious hatred bill, believing "everyone has a right to be protected but freedom of speech was more important". But Alibhai-Brown wanted more than "a civic identity based on laws and no more. I think we need something with more soul".

David Lammy argued that he opposed the controversial closing of the play "Behzti" on the grounds that the 2nd and 3rd generations of immigrants should have a right to challenge the interpretation of their parents, but the government's plan for legislation is about the incitement of racial hatred ,arguing that "I am pleased the BNP are not allowed to put on a play inciting disaffected white youth to hate me and my family, in the same way we have to have a discussion about where art ends and incitement starts"

Cable's response to Lammy was to argue that "At one time in my life I wanted to ban the BNP because, on behalf of my family, I was afraid of them. But that was wrong. Writing plays, expressing views, even highly offensive views is something we can never ban."

Yasmin Alibhai Brown explained that she has never been absolutist on freedom of expression, arguing "the jungle is free, civilisation tames us". She added that after the publication of the Satanic Versus, people like her and Tariq Modood, felt they had to "speak for the disaffected Muslims, but the Muslim community is now much more powerful and therefore should accept much more".

In his closing remarks David Lammy put the debate about values in context, when he talked of the French values of egalitarianism and fraternity that are meaningless to disaffected French youth and reminding us that "the young men that blew up my friend on 7/7 did not buy into our values, values which must be reinterepretated for people today".

Culture and difference: How should conflicts over values be resolved? with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Independent); Leighton Andrews AM; Vincent Cable MP; Jude Kelly (South Bank Centre); David Lammy MP (Minister for Culture); Chair: Jonathan Heawood (Director, EnglishPEN). This panel debate took part at the Fabian New Year Conference 'Who do we want to be? The Future of Britishness' on January 14, 2006, at Imperial College London.

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