"no one was asking questions like that, even a decade ago..."
Sajid Javid has warned that division is increasing in the UK, pointing to a rise in online debates questioning the identity of non-white politicians.
Javid told PoliticsHome that discussions about whether figures like Rishi Sunak are British did not occur a decade ago.
In February 2026, Sunak described himself as “British, English and British Asian” after right-wing podcaster Konstantin Kisin had previously suggested he was not English because he is a “brown-skinned Hindu”.
Sunak, the UK’s first British Asian Prime Minister, has warned that the country risks “slipping back” towards more overt forms of racism.
Sajid Javed said the spread of such talking points online highlights concerns about social cohesion.
He linked the trend to how people now consume news, particularly through social media environments shaped by algorithms and echo chambers.
On whether he was surprised by the debate, Javid said: “In a way, yes, because no one was asking questions like that, even a decade ago…
“Take Rishi as a great example. He became Prime Minister of our country, and someone dares question whether he’s British or not?
“Obviously, it’s complete nonsense and I think questions like that often come from a divisive place, and that’s just the kind of division I think the vast majority of British people don’t have time for.
“But one of the challenges that we’re having in today’s world, and especially how people consume or get their news is that, if you’re only getting news from your echo chambers on your social media channels, and those channels are inevitably pushing out divisive content because that’s what gets the clicks, then that is one of the features of today’s society.”
In his memoir, The Colour of Home, Sajid Javid details his parents’ journey from Pakistan to the UK, describing how they arrived with little money and “became proudly British”.
He reiterated his view that “Britain is the most successful multiracial democracy in the world”.
Javid also urged ministers to take further steps to protect progress made since the racism he experienced growing up in 1970s Bristol.
Since leaving Parliament in 2024, one of the roles Javid has taken on is heading up The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, along with Jon Cruddas, the former Labour MP for Dagenham.
Javid said: “A good friend, but someone on a different side politically, but I think what we definitely agree on is the division, sadly, in the UK, broadly put, has been on the rise, as it has been in many countries.”
He added that it will be looking at “what more can we do to bring people together to have less segregation, more integration”.
However, he admitted he could have done more during his time in office.
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