Responding to statistics from the Home Office which indicated a significant rise in reporting of hate crime incidents in England and Wales in the three months following the EU referendum,
Commission Chair David Isaac said:
The vast majority of people who voted to leave the European Union did so because they believed it was best for Britain, and not because they are intolerant of others. It is clear, however, that a small minority of people used the Brexit vote to legitimise inexcusable racism and prejudice.
We cannot allow such intolerable acts of hate to be condoned or repeated. Many people are anxious about further incidents and it must be sensible to prepare for any possible spikes during the Brexit process. The triggering of Article 50 is the next major milestone and we must do all we can to discourage hate attacks and to support people who feel at risk.
