Rotherham's doctrine of multiculturalism was fundamentally flawed — it’s time for ‘inter-culturalism’

This is the very same council that decided that Ukip supporters could not foster children

The report said that Rotherham Council was in denial about the extent of child sexual exploitation in the town (PA) (PA)

The situation on Rotherham Council is now beyond what can be accepted as your standard political farce. The entirety of Labour’s cabinet has had to resign as a result of failures in the sexual abuse scandal that took place on its watch. Whether this was turning a blind eye to systematic rape and grooming of young girls, or whether it was ignorance of the matter, there is no doubt in my mind that in 21st-century Britain, such events cannot be tolerated.

This not only refers to the disgusting acts themselves, but the disgraceful way in which Rotherham Council’s leadership has conducted itself. Don’t forget, this is the very same council that decided that Ukip supporters could not foster and raise children – such are its priorities. But because of political correctness, and its refusal to accept that its doctrine of multiculturalism was fundamentally flawed, it failed to act when rape gangs of Pakistani origin descended upon the unsuspecting children in the town.

Now, the Government’s Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, is sending in bureaucrats to run the council in the absence of a cabinet. Instead of taking the opportunity to reform the council, and take it back to a committee system, which works far better than an easily corruptible cabinet system, Pickles seems to have adopted a policy of “no change here please”.

Despite the opportunity presenting itself for fresh elections on the date of the general election on 7 May, the Government and Rotherham Council seem to be committed to only having one third of the council elected in May, as was the plan pre-mass resignations. Only in 2016 will Pickles insist on an election to replace the remainder of the council, a situation which has left many locals dumbfounded.

But as the establishment parties have cobbled together to conceal decades of Westminster sexual abuses, so they seem to be holding firm in keeping the people of Rotherham in the dark; unrepresented and searching for answers.

I shall be visiting Rotherham today, and alongside Ukip’s representatives and candidates will call for immediate, wholesale change for the area, including elections for the entirety of the council on 7 May. As for the crimes and the criminals themselves, I do hope – though I won’t hold my breath – that the political elite that steered us blindly into this multiculturalism experiment have learned the lessons of what they think is “tolerance” but what is actually complicity.

There’s nothing “tolerant” about looking the other way when mass rape and grooming is occurring, and in fact it does a great injustice to the law-abiding immigrants who get blamed, attacked or simply feel guilt through association.

Instead, as I have commented before, we should be looking to a policy of inter-culturalism, which promotes the best things about Western culture, rejects things that we would find abhorrent and seeks integration of the excellent things that we can learn from other countries and cultures.

Until and unless we move away from the idea that we have to accept everything that migration brings to our shores – for fear of being labelled racist, intolerant, or otherwise – then I fear that we won’t see a reduction or end to such atrocities. Just as we attempt to squeeze the immoral and criminal out of our own society, so must we take this approach to certain things that seem to find their way here through migration.

Will Pietersen live up to  the mighty Boycott?

Matt Prior (right) and Kevin Pietersen celebrate retaining the Ashes in Melbourne in 2010

The argument for and against former sportsmen commentating on TV or radio is one that I don’t think will be settled soon. While they can offer some unique insights into what’s going on during matches, often they’re criticised for being inferior communicators. I’m thinking specifically of the criticism that the likes of ex-footballer Phil Neville get. But we have to remember that often these people are plucked, as kids, from schools and local leagues and almost overnight pushed into the limelight. Mass communication is not something they’re necessarily trained for.

Occasionally you’ll get a natural, like Geoffrey Boycott, whose commentary on Test cricket genuinely brings the game to life in a way that one misses when he’s not around. One of my best memories, of course, was being a guest on Test Match Special, so I know how Kevin Pietersen must feel now he’s lined up to join the ranks of those in the commentary box, offering his thoughts during the forthcoming cricket World Cup. I wish him all the best but I doubt he’ll ever be as great as Geoffrey!