Brexit Talks Unlikely to Lead to Backlash Against EU Citizens in Britain - UK MP

The start of Brexit talks will not trigger a wave of hate crimes against EU citizens residing in Britain, Andrew Bridgen, member of the UK Parliament from the Conservative Party, said Thursday rebuffing previous comments by a UK official.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, David Isaac, the chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), told UK lawmakers that he was worried that the beginning of the formal secession from the bloc would lead to the rise in hate crime against EU nationals, according to UK media.

"Everyone has their opinion, but I think the head of the commission is out to make a name for himself… We should never tolerate racism or xenophobic behaviour, it will never be tolerated in our country and it’s nothing to do with wanting our sovereignty back," Bridgen said in an interview on UK talkRADIO broadcaster, commenting on Isaac's words.

According to Bridgen, the Parliament's failure to trigger Article 50 to begin the formal separation procedure would make people very angry with politicians.

In November 2016, the EHRC addressed the UK government expressing concern about the rise in hate crime since the Brexit vote and urged the government to address the issue.

The Home Office figures released in October 2016 showed racist and religious abuse incidents recorded by police in England and Wales rose by 41 percent in the month following the June 23 referendum vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.