Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has told church leaders of his concerns regarding fractured communities during a Downing Street reception.
Premier joined leaders from a variety of different religions for the gathering at Number 10, which marked Interfaith Week.
Those in attendance included Archbishop of Canterbury-designate Dame Sarah Mullally, Coptic leader Archbishop Angaelos, Churches Together in England's Bishop Mike Royal, and the Evangelical Alliance’s Gavin Calver.
Celebrating the work of faith leaders, the PM said: “I've always been a long believer in interfaith work.
“I have been worried in recent years that it's been severely tested, frankly. But we need to do even more. Because I have to admit to you that I'm more worried about cohesion across our country now than I've been for very many years.”
His comments came just weeks after an attack on a Manchester synagogue in which two people were killed and an arson attack on a mosque in East Sussex.
Looking forward, he said: “We do face a bit of a fork in the road for our country now, because there's an argument not just about this policy or that policy, but who we are as a country. What is our identity? And on the one hand, you've got what I call a sort of patriotic national renewal, a whole country that wants to come together and pull forward for everybody in the country.
“Or toxic division, where we're saying, whether it's in real life or online - more division, more abuse, more attacks. In politics, rhetoric that I thought we had got past decades ago coming back into politics, whether that's pure racism or other forms of division.
“And this is really important to me because I'm very proud to be Prime Minister, but I want to serve the whole of this country, the country as it is, in all its reasonableness, its practicality, its tolerance, its live and let live, and its diversity.”
The Prime Minister finished by making a commitment to continued work with faith leaders to bring about change.
“My message to you… is we want to work with you on this,” he said. “This has to be a partnership. This can't be done by a prime minister or a government.
“We will play our part, but we recognise that we can't do it on our own.”
Interfaith Week takes place from 9th–16th November. Events are taking place across the country to bring together communities from different faiths to collaborate and celebrate the UK’s diversity.
