leader Jeremy Corbyn has warned there could be an increase in racist abuse and violence as Brexit takes place.
Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Corbyn highlighted predictions that quitting the EU could cause 鈥渁 backlash鈥 against ethnic minority communities.
But he said Theresa May鈥檚 Government was failing to tackle prejudice. Instead, he accused the Government of 鈥渁ctively stoked the fires of frenzied scaremongering鈥 and stealing 鈥渢he clothes of the far right鈥.
The Labour leader was speaking in Birmingham ahead of the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, on Wednesday 22nd March,
He said there had been 鈥渁larming rises in racism and anti-Semitism鈥 in the past six years.
And he warned: 鈥淛ust last week, a report from Equality and Human Rights Commission to MPs expressed concern that the start of formally leaving the EU could cause a backlash, similar to the period of increased hate crime that followed the EU referendum.
鈥淎ny move to tackle such heinous crimes head-on would be laudable, if it didn鈥檛 come from a government which has actively stoked the fires of frenzied scaremongering as Europe faces its biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War.鈥
Mr Corbyn highlighted an advertising campaign led by the Home Office when Prime Minister Theresa May was Home Secretary, in which posters on vans urged people in the country illegally to 鈥済o home or face arrest鈥.
He added: 鈥淩azor wire in Calais and warnings of swarms and migrants flooding our shores throws light on a party much more content to steal the clothes of far-right forces than attempt in any meaningful way to tackle racial and religious prejudice.鈥
And he criticised the Government鈥檚 鈥淧revent鈥 programme, which Ministers say is designed to challenge extremism but critics have accused of targeting and stigmatising Muslims.
Mr Corbyn highlighted Birmingham鈥檚 diverse populations, and said diversity made the country stronger.
鈥淏irmingham is home to an elaborate variety of ethnic and religious communities. Kashmiri Pakistanis in Sparkbrook, Bengali Muslims in Perry Barr, Hindus in Sutton Coldfield.
鈥淏ritain wouldn鈥檛 be the place it is today, people living and working together side by side, without the contribution of Black and Asian communities.鈥
And he condemned Enoch Powell, the Wolverhampton MP who delivered his 鈥渞ivers of blood鈥 speech warning against immigration in a Birmingham hotel in 1968.
Mr Corbyn said: 鈥淚t was in Birmingham almost 50 years ago, that the Conservative MP for Wolverhampton, Enoch Powell gave his notorious 鈥楻ivers of Blood鈥 speech. I remember it like it was yesterday as I was living in Jamaica at the time. The outrage on the streets was palpable.
鈥淎n evil appeal to racial hatred, made just a week before the Labour government鈥檚 Race Relations Bill 1968, the first legislation in the country to prohibit racial discrimination.鈥
He added: 鈥淓noch Powell was wrong. There have not been rivers of blood. We have one of the highest rates of mixed-race marriage in the western world.
鈥淲hat we need is leadership that does not stoop to preying on those anxieties, blaming people who look differently, talk a different language or dress differently, for the mess that we鈥檙e in.鈥
