Enough is enough. UK must do much more to tackle anti-semitism

I’m sure some, if not many, inside and outside our industry, will agree and will disagree with what I am about to say and I emphasise it is a personal observation, not a company one.

History is littered with examples of when and where people failed to speak out and did themselves and their societies at large a disservice by failing to do so. 

I thought of mentioning it at our last company results, but felt it was better to make it a personal statement.

I abhor violence in all its forms and have a visceral, negative reaction to many, many things on all sides that we have seen and heard about in recent years. 

Indeed, after the senseless murder of George Floyd in 2020, many brands, clients and people inside our industry, including S4 Capital and its operating brand, Monks, reacted vigorously and emphasised the need to commit to further actions around diversity, equity and inclusion in line with oft-expressed brand and company values, which are sometimes just not implemented. 

We abhor all forms of discrimination. However, the similarly senseless Heaton Park synagogue terror attack that resulted in two deaths last year did not seem to evoke the same reaction. There was a notable silence.

The unprovoked, daylight stabbings of two Jewish people in Golders Green two weeks ago (which, thankfully, did not result in any deaths) have been particularly traumatic personally, and dramatically brought home to me the severity of the crisis we all face.

I was born and bred in a flat at Queensborough Court at Henleys Corner, very close to Golders Green in North West London, which I have sometimes joked about as being a Jewish ghetto. The recent stabbings have literally brought home the impact of terrorist violence.

My grandparents fled persecution in Ukraine and Russia in 1899 and from Poland and Romania between the two World Wars. 

As a grandson of persecuted immigrants, I owe our country everything. They didn't have many options, but were attracted to the United Kingdom because of its democracy, its freedoms, its tolerance, its multicultural and multi-faith society, its rule of law and because it would give their children, including my mum and my dad, a better chance at a better life. And they were right – then. 

All this seems to be under threat now. My grandparents, my parents and, indeed, I would not and do not recognise our country and its values any more.

Enough is enough. It is time for more people to speak out and for the government to be clear about our values and priorities. 

This UK government was elected primarily on a platform of change – they should, at the very least, try to change all this. 

They have made some funding moves to improve policing and education last week, which are positive signals, but there is much, much more to be done in the areas of policing, counter-terrorism, immigration control and multicultural integration. 

In addition, this seems to be not just a UK issue, but a global one – and other governments should take note.

Sir Martin Sorrell is the executive chairman of S4 Capital