New Labour’s greatest U-turn of all is its sudden attack on multiculturalism

The idea of cultural wars is as alien to the British nation as the word Kulturkampf is to the English language. In America, of course, such conflict is routine, as parties clash over issues like gay marriage, abortion and affirmative action. But Britain has never had much time for such confrontation. From time to time, specific loyalties divide the country — Charles or Diana, Thatcher or Kinnock, Mods or Rockers, Roundhead or Cavalier — but never before a clash of civilisations. Yet many in Westminster believe that culture wars are about to become an integral part of our politics.

Jack Straw, the minister who started the present row about the Muslim veil, flatly denies accusations of bravery. When he raised the issue, he claimed he was simply repeating a point he’d made in several speeches. This is, after all, the man who as foreign secretary was accused of bending British foreign policy to appease his Muslim constituents. Yet whether by accident or design, he has struck oil. Instead of being pilloried for making such remarks, his approval ratings have rocketed.

It has been embarrassing to watch ministers pile in behind him. Peter Hain declared British Airways to be ‘loopy’ for suspending a female employee who wore the cross. Phil Woolas, the race relations minister, called for the dismissal of the Dewsbury teaching assistant who refused to remove her veil when teaching at a Church of England school. John Prescott declared himself pro-veil and Gordon Brown vaguely declared himself pro-Straw. On Tuesday Tony Blair solemnly proclaimed the veil a ‘mark of separation’.

Yet all this has been the political equivalent of shouting at the television. There is no policy at stake here, nor any question of banning the niqab in Britain.