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My Response to Rishi Sunak - Konstantin Kisin

September 27, 2026 • 16m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

Konstantin Kissin delivers a comprehensive response to former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Sunday Times article about identity and integration in Britain. The piece addresses accusations of racism stemming from Kissin's comments on Sunak's Englishness, while making a detailed argument about ethnic versus civic identity, the challenges of multiculturalism, and the need to preserve distinct national identities within a British civic framework.

Addressing the Controversy and Sunak's Article

Kissin opens by acknowledging that Rishi Sunak wrote a piece in the Sunday Times quoting him without explicit attribution about whether Sunak is English. He admits that his phrase 'brown Hindu' was poorly articulated, explaining he meant to use 'British Asian' instead. While he regrets making Sunak the case study and texted an apology, he firmly rejects the charge that his position was racist, noting his own white children born in England are also not English in his view—they're British.

  • Rishi Sunak quoted Kissin's controversial comments about whether he could be English as a 'brown Hindu'
  • Kissin admits the phrase was poorly chosen and he meant to say 'British Asian' instead
  • Fraser Nelson described Kissin's argument as 'a perfectly fair point' despite the poor articulation
  • Kissin texted Sunak privately to apologize but received no reply
  • Kissin argues his position isn't racist since his own white children born in England are British, not English
  • Suella Braverman, as a proud British Asian, also argued she herself is not English
" Both were born in England to British parents who each came here from somewhere else. My children are not English either. They're British. "
" So either I'm racist against my own white children, or maybe this isn't an argument about race. "

Sunak's Argument and the Civic Identity Claim

Kissin examines Sunak's core argument that anyone born in England who views it as home is English, and that denying this creates alienation. He acknowledges this feels good and comforting but argues that the complexity of the issue doesn't disappear just because people are unwilling to engage with it. Sunak's assertion that Britain has created the most successful multi-ethnic democracy is challenged by growing evidence of failure.

  • Sunak argues English is available to anyone born in England who says they're English
  • Sunak conflates Englishness with Britishness at his convenience despite understanding the distinction
  • Sunak warns that denying people their Englishness creates alienation and a two-tier society
  • Sunak claims Britain has created the most successful multi-faith, multi-ethnic democracy
  • The multicultural experiment doesn't feel successful to a large and growing number of people in Britain
" If you were born and brought up in England and view it as home, what are you other than English? Attempting to deny people their Englishness or Britishness because of the color of their skin is a recipe for alienation and for a two-tier society. "
" In Britain we've created the most successful multi-faith, multi-ethnic democracy. Job done, case closed. "

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