OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER ANDY BURNHAM

Dear Prime Minister,

First and foremost, we offer you our warmest congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This is a moment of great honour, but also of immense responsibility – and we wish you strength, wisdom and every success as you take the helm of our nation at this critical time. We have long admired your commitment to public service, your passion for fairness, and your belief that every community deserves to be seen, heard and valued. It is with that respect, and with great hope, that we write to you today.

We write not as strangers, not as outsiders, and not as supplicants – but as citizens of this nation. We are the sons and daughters, grandchildren and great‑grandchildren of people who came to these shores seeking safety, opportunity, and a chance to build a better life. We are the doctors and nurses who staff your hospitals through every shift; the teachers who educate your children; the business owners who keep our high streets alive and employ hundreds of thousands; the transport workers who keep this country moving; the engineers who build our infrastructure; the public servants who administer our laws; the armed forces personnel who defend our flag; and the volunteers who step forward whenever our communities are in need. We pay our taxes, we obey our laws, we celebrate our shared victories, and we grieve our shared losses. This is our home – as much as it is anyone’s.

Yet today, Prime Minister, we write with heavy hearts and growing fear. Across every corner of the UK, from our largest cities to our smallest towns, British Asian families are telling us the same thing: we have never felt so vulnerable, so questioned, or so openly targeted as we do right now. Many of our elders who arrived here decades ago – who endured prejudice, low pay and hardship to build foundations for their children – say they have not seen such levels of open racial hostility in all their years. Young people tell us they are tired of having to “prove” they belong. Parents worry about letting their children walk alone. And all of us are asking: how did we get here? And will you help us find our way back?

THE PROGRESS WE THOUGHT WE HAD MADE

For many years, we believed we were moving forward. We saw laws passed to ban discrimination; we saw representation grow in Parliament, in town halls, on our screens and in our boardrooms; we saw communities come together in the aftermath of tragedy, standing united against hate. We believed that while challenges remained, the direction of travel was clear: towards greater equality, greater understanding, and a country where a person’s worth was measured not by their face or their faith, but by who they are and what they contribute.

We celebrated those gains, but we never took them for granted. We knew that progress is not a straight line, that prejudice does not vanish overnight, and that trust takes generations to build – yet can be broken in moments. But what we did not expect was to see division deliberately stoked; to see our identities weaponised for political advantage; to see the language of hate once again given space, legitimacy and even a platform in public life.

THE REALITY WE FACE TODAY

Every day, we hear accounts that should shock the conscience of this nation:

• A grandmother wearing traditional dress shouted at in the street, told to “go back where you came from” – despite having lived here for 52 years and raised four children who served this country.
• A young professional passed over for promotion time and again, only to hear colleagues say “people like us don’t fit leadership roles”.
• Families abused on public transport for speaking their mother tongue to one another.
• Shopkeepers targeted and harassed simply because of their ethnicity.
• Students bullied in schools, told they “don’t really belong here”.
• Online abuse sent to public figures and ordinary citizens alike, filled with racial slurs and threats.
• Communities overlooked for funding, ignored in consultation processes, and treated as afterthoughts when decisions are made.

We are told we are “imagining it”, that “Britain is not like that any more”, or that “everyone faces hardship”. But hardship is not the same as being targeted for who you are. Struggle is not the same as being told you have no place in the land you call home.

We have seen how rising cost‑of‑living pressures, housing shortages and economic uncertainty have created frustration. But instead of bringing people together to solve these problems, that frustration has too often been directed at us – at neighbours who look different, worship differently, or speak differently. We have become convenient scapegoats, blamed for things we did not cause and excluded from solutions we are ready to help build.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR – AND WHAT WE DO NOT WANT

Let us be absolutely clear: we do not ask for special treatment. We do not seek handouts, favouritism, or advantages that others do not receive. We ask only for what is promised to every citizen of this country: equal rights, equal opportunities, equal protection, and equal respect.

We want to live in a Britain where:

• A person is never ignored, turned away or held back because of their name, skin colour, faith or heritage.
• Every child – regardless of background – has the same chance to thrive at school, find work, and fulfil their potential.
• Our laws against hate crime and discrimination are not just written down, but enforced consistently, fairly and visibly.
• Our institutions – the police, the civil service, the judiciary, our public bodies – reflect the communities they serve, and treat everyone with dignity.
• When we speak about racism or unfairness, we are heard, not dismissed as “playing the race card” or “causing division”.
• Diversity is seen as a source of strength, not a threat to be managed or feared.
• We are free to celebrate our heritage and faith, while being fully accepted as British.

We believe these are not unreasonable demands. They are the very foundations of a fair and democratic society.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR EVERYONE

This is not just an issue for British Asian communities. When one group is targeted, all groups are less safe. When one community is excluded, our whole nation is weaker. When division is allowed to take root, everyone suffers – businesses, public services, social cohesion, and our standing in the world.

We have always stood shoulder to shoulder with all our neighbours – Black communities, white communities, faith and belief groups from every corner of the globe. We know that our struggles are connected; that justice for one is justice for all; and that none of us is truly free until all of us are free.

We do not want to be pitted against anyone else. We do not want to compete for scraps of respect or opportunity. We want to live in a country where there is space for everyone – where we lift each other up rather than tear each other down.

WHAT WE ASK YOU TO DO

Prime Minister, you have often spoken about bringing people together, about giving a voice to those who have been overlooked, and about building a Britain that works for everyone. We ask you to turn those words into action:

1. Use your office to unite, not divide

Speak clearly and unequivocally against all forms of racism, hate speech and discrimination – from whatever quarter it comes. Reject any attempt to normalise prejudice or scapegoat communities. Make it clear that in your government and in public life, there is no place for language or policies that suggest some belong more than others.

2. Strengthen protection and enforcement

Review how hate crime laws are applied and resourced, ensuring victims feel safe to report offences and have confidence they will be taken seriously. Address the gap between reported incidents and successful prosecutions, and ensure that online hate is tackled with the same determination as abuse on our streets.

3. Tackle systemic barriers head‑on

Carry out targeted work to remove structural discrimination in employment, education, housing and public services. Ensure recruitment processes are fair, that pathways to leadership are open to talent from all backgrounds, and that public contracts and investment reach all communities fairly.

4. Build trust between communities and institutions

Create genuine, structured dialogue between government and community leaders – not just for consultation, but for co‑creation of policy. Ensure policing and public services understand cultural needs, reflect the communities they serve, and work in partnership rather than at a distance.

5. Teach and celebrate our shared history

Ensure our schools tell the full story of Britain – including the vital contribution of migrant and minority communities across centuries. Build a national narrative that recognises our differences while affirming our shared values and shared future.

OUR PROMISE TO YOU

Once again, Prime Minister, we congratulate you on this great office. If you lead with courage, fairness and respect – you will find us ready to stand with you. We are ready to work alongside your government, to share our experiences, to contribute our ideas, and to play our full part in building a better Britain. We are ready to help heal rifts, to build bridges, and to show that our diversity is our greatest asset.

We love this country. We have invested our lives, our labour and our hopes in it. We want to be proud of it – not just for what it has been, but for what it can become: a nation where every person, no matter where their family came from, can live without fear, rise without limit, and call this place home with full confidence and pride.

Right now, that feels like a distant hope. But we believe it is still within our reach – if we choose to walk that path together.

We ask only that you help us make it so.

With hope, respect and determination,

On behalf of the British Asian Community

Asian CNCT, July 2026