British Prime Minister Theresa May warned Monday that mainstream politicians must better address public concerns about inequality, immigration and globalisation, or risk losing power to the "politics of division". Six months after she took office following Britain's deeply divisive vote to leave the European Union, May said the government should step up to build a stronger, more cohesive society.
"We know what happens when mainstream centre-ground politics fails - people embrace the fringe, the politics of division and despair," the Conservative leader said in a major speech in London. "They turn to those who offer easy answers, who claim to understand people's problems, and always know what and who to blame.
"We see those fringe voices gaining prominence in some countries across Europe today. Voices from the hard left and far right stepping forward and sensing that this is their time. "But they stand on the shoulders of mainstream politicians who have allowed unfairness and division to grow by ignoring the legitimate concerns of ordinary people for too long."
May's premiership has so far been dominated by preparations for Brexit, as negotiations on the divorce are due to begin with the EU by the end of March. Referencing a speech she made when she took office, May said the referendum vote was partly driven by a sense that people "felt locked out of the political and social discourse in Britain".
Wage stagnation, concern about immigration, job insecurity and the cost of housing must be addressed, she said, repeatedly calling for "solidarity" in society. In a break from Conservative leaders in the past, May said government must step up to address Britain's generational, financial and geographical divisions. She has promised action on the cost of housing to ease younger people's concerns, and a new industrial strategy that would help distribute jobs and wealth from London and the prosperous south-east of England across the country.
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