Census should include black English and Asian English options, says MP
Source: BBC Politics ↗
Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde tabled the “St George’s Bill,” formally the English Ethnic Identity (census particulars) Bill, in the House of Commons on Tuesday, seeking to add distinct “Black English” and “Asian English” categories to the national census. Babarinde, an Eastbourne MP who described himself as a “proud Englishman” with “proud Nigerian heritage,” argued that the current census only lists “English” within the white category, forcing non‑white respondents to choose “Black British” or “Asian British” without an English option. He noted that Wales and Scotland already provide ethnic descriptors such as “Black Welsh” and “Scottish Asian,” and he called the English miscellaneous write‑in box “the margin.” The proposal is backed by Labour’s David Lammy and Conservative Sir James Cleverly, and it was introduced under the 10‑minute rule, with no MP opting to speak against it.
The bill’s central aim is to address what Babarinde and his supporters describe as “racial gatekeeping” of English identity, a concern echoed by Lammy, who said it is “absurd” that mixed‑heritage children cannot label themselves as both Black or mixed race and English on the census. Babarinde cited personal experience, including death threats received for asserting that “you don’t have to be white to be English,” and referenced comments from former Conservative minister Suella Braverman, who has publicly questioned whether people of Asian heritage can claim Englishness. By highlighting the disparity between England’s census and those of Wales and Scotland, the bill seeks to recognize English ethnicity as a distinct category irrespective of skin colour, arguing that English identity has never been tied to a single bloodline.
The private member’s bill has been scheduled for a second‑reading debate on 23 April 2027, St George’s Day, but its progress is uncertain due to limited parliamentary time. No opposition speeches were recorded during the 10‑minute rule introduction, suggesting limited immediate resistance, yet the lack of allocated time casts doubt on whether the proposal will advance in its current form. If adopted, the changes could reshape how English ethnicity is recorded nationally, affecting future demographic data and potentially influencing discussions on citizenship, identity and representation across the United Kingdom.
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The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.6%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.2%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 1.3% with inflation at 3.3%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.3%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.4% with inflation at 2.4%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 8.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at -0.5% with inflation at 8.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6.5%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at -3.9% with inflation at 4.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.