A Labour MP has dubbed Brighton as “amazingly un-diverse”.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle said he believes that the city is called diverse “far too often” and that the area is not immune to problems such as hate crime.

The MP for Kemp Town added that he thought recent rises in hate crime statistics could be linked back to elements of the Conservative Party.

Mr Russell-Moyle said: “Far too often people in Brighton say we are an amazingly diverse city. We have the intention to be diverse, and in some areas we are, but in other areas we are amazingly undiverse.

“We know that the cultural and economic intersection creates the structural racism, sexism, homophobia, and ableism that we have in our country and Brighton cannot be complacent.

“This is a tragedy that is being manufactured by the far right in the Conservative Party and the far right outside of the Conservative Party who are trying to manufacture a set of culture wars to divide and rule because they have lost the argument on all the other areas of this country and the only thing that they can win on is fear.”

The Conservative Party has been approached for comment.

The Argus: Russell-Moyle also linked the Conservative Party to hate crime statisticsRussell-Moyle also linked the Conservative Party to hate crime statistics

Mr Russell-Moyle said that Brighton was below the national average for racial diversity and added that there needed to be a tougher stance on hate crime and the causes of hate crime.

The MP also criticised the “misinformation and lies around transgender people that is propagated by some people who are gender critical”.

He added that it was part of his duty as a “white, relatively well-off, British cis man” to reflect on how he acts in order to be “better allies” and to “push back this torrent of hate that Liz Truss and other Conservatives are determined to further”.

Mr Russell-Moyle was speaking following a hate crime vigil on Thursday.

It comes as Home Office data revealed reported incidents of hate crime in Sussex have quadrupled since 2012.

Last week, Superintendent Nick Dias, Sussex Police’s hate crime lead, said: “We know over the last few years, there has been an increase in reports of hate crime and that people will be concerned by this.

“We encourage people to come forward so we can respond effectively, identifying those responsible and supporting those affected.

"We are committed to making sure hate crime in any form is not tolerated in Sussex, and we work with our partners to achieve this.”