Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, has indicated his likely support for a bill proposed by Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde that aims to allow individuals in England to identify as both Black and English or Asian and English in the upcoming census. This initiative has garnered backing from a diverse group of MPs, including David Lammy, a former Labour deputy prime minister, and James Cleverly, the Conservative former foreign secretary. The bill is a response to recent comments by Reform UK politicians, including Suella Braverman, who have argued that only white individuals can claim English identity, a notion that has been widely criticized as racist.
During a session of Prime Minister's Questions, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey challenged Burnham on the need for broader ethnic identity options in the census. He emphasized that the current census format, which only offers 'White English' as an ethnicity option, fails to recognize the approximately 11% of the UK-born population in England and Wales who belong to minority ethnic backgrounds. Davey condemned the idea that Englishness could be limited to skin color, stating, "Our politics is being affected by poisonous ideas, like the idea that people born and raised in England can't be English because they're not white."S1S2
Babarinde's bill, known as a 10-minute rule bill, aims to introduce new options such as Black English and Asian English to the census. He argued that the existing framework marginalizes English individuals with Black and Asian heritage, effectively excluding them from being classified as English. In support of this initiative, Burnham remarked, "We must move on from a decade of division and drift in this country. We must bring people back together," signaling a willingness to collaborate across party lines to address these issues.S1S2
The debate surrounding this proposed legislation gained momentum following comments made by Suella Braverman in October, which sparked outrage among many MPs. The bill, however, faces challenges as it requires government backing to progress further. As it stands, the next census is scheduled for 2031, providing a timeline for potential changes to how ethnic identities are recognized and categorized in England.S1S2
