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Ethnic minorities more likely to feel British than white people, says research
Last updated at 23:22pm on 18.02.07
Brits: Queen Elizabeth II with Cllr Sukhdev Singh Marway the ceremonial mayor of Newham Council in 2002
Ethnic minorities are now more likely to feel British than white people, research has found.
The study by the Institute for Public Policy Research said that 51 per cent of blacks and Asians describe themselves as British compared with just 29 per cent of whites.
The left-leaning think tank warns of a 'growing divide' in England between those who consider themselves English or British.
It argues that UK is in the grip of a national identity crisis as the white population increasingly fragments into English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish identities.
More than half of whites describe themselves as primarily belonging to one of Britain's four constituent nations compared with just 11 per cent of blacks and Asians.
The report suggests that while Englishness and Scottishness are seen primarily as ethnic terms by minority groups, Britain, its flag and institutions are perceived as more neutral.
Rick Muir, a research fellow at IPPR who co-wrote the study, said: 'The rise in English national identity is worrying because people who tend to define themselves as English are most hostile to cultural diversity.
'There's a worry that the growth of English national identity is divisive.' Sir Bernard Crick, an educational expert, who helped the government devise the citizenship curriculum, agreed with the findings.
He said: ''To the immigrant, Britishness is essentially a legal and political structure. It doesn't mean the culture.
'When the immigrant says I am British, he is not saying he wants to be English or Scottish or Welsh. Britishness does not threaten their own culture. It is not an all-embracing term.'
Sir Bernard added that minorities preferred the term British because it can be combined with their own ethnic or racial terms such as British Pakistani or British African.
The study charts a steady decline in the sense of Britishness.
In 1996, 52 per cent of respondents to a poll said they saw themselves primarily as British. By 2005, this had fallen to just 44 per cent. The IPPR study said that Scottish and Welsh devolution had damaged British feeling.
It also found that religious identity, particularly among young British Muslims, was becoming more important than national identity.
The report concluded: 'This no doubt has its roots in long-running social disadvantage at home, as well as resentment at British foreign policy and a sense that British Muslims are being viewed with increasing suspicion and hostility.'
Last month, the British Social Attitudes Survey warned that the trend away from feeling British could have damaging consequences for society. Gordon Brown has spoken of the need to reinforce a sense of Britishness in schools and everyday life. He has even suggested a holiday to celebrate the nation.
His comments last month came as a Government report found that white pupils attending mixed race schools often feel marginalised and lack a sense of Britishness.
David Cameron has warned of 'clunking' attempts to impose Britishness and 'bully' people into being patriotic.
Olympic gold medallist athlete Darren Campbell comes from a Jamaican family and was born in Manchester.
He said he preferred the term 'British' because he was born and bred in England but now lives in Wales but did not feel the term English has racial connotations.
'I have represented England and have carried the St George's flag. It is a huge pride.' Lord Tebbit, the former Tory party chairman, said:
'I think the results are encouraging, it's a thoroughly good thing. I am not altogether surprised by it. It's a mark of integration...of minorities working towards integration.'
Writer and comedian Meera Syal, who calls herself British Indian, said British identity was 'in crisis.'
She said: 'The whole label British is being redefined at the moment.
'I don't think people know what that means any more. There has been a lot of debate about what exactly is the British character, what is the British identity.
'Britishness is a bit nebulous. I think our borders are more fluid now and that's why everybody is having to redefine Britishness and I don't think it will be clear for another 20 years.'
Ethnic minority Britons who are fiercely patriotic include Dame Kelly Holmes and boxer Amir Khan.
When he won his silver medal at the Athens Olympics, Khan's father Shah, who came to the UK from Pakistan in the 1970s, famously wore a Union flag waistcoat every time his son fought.
Reader views (8)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
I wish that people would stop saying Britishness is 'artificial'. Any 'ness' is created somewhere down the line. The indigenous people Great Britain have been British for 10,000 years and people who come to Britain, marry into British families and embrace British identity also enter into that. Englishness is only as old as England, which is only 1,000 years old. That's the reality. Our roots go back to the first humans on the island. People need to find more important things to worry about than nationality - none of it will matter in a few decades when half of Britain is under metres of risen ocean.
- Aj Marsh, New Zealand
Of course there is an ethnic English, an English culture etc. However, since devolution, an inclusive English as opposed to British civic identity is developing. A citizen of England is English irrespective of his ethnic background. Thierry Henry is black but he is still French, so a black person can also be English! We urgently need the institiutions of an English nation ie. English government, English Parliament etc. to represent ALL the people of England.
- Derek, Southampton,England
Depending on context I'll call myself English (born and bred here, think of it as home), British (Lions tours, passport) or even European (genetics - only 1/4 English). Methinks whoever dreams up the questions gets the answers he wants.
- Nigel, London
I am English because I was born in England. I prefer to be English rather than British. Too often, the English are on the receiving end of hostility from Scots, Welsh and the Irish, and the Labour government. Jack Straw once famously stated that the English were a hostile race - Labour has always been hostile to the English. People are angry at the promotion and celebration of Scottishness and Irishness by Labour and yet (at the same time) the suppression of Englishness. Britishness is an artificial construct and it is unsurprising that people want to be defined by their country of origin rather than an artificial nation created by the Act of Union 1707.
- Anthony, London
If you look at the "English" rugby team for just one example, it appears that we have had all sorts of players over the last few years who could not seriously be described as English (even an Italian captain). The taking of our national identity by anyone who happens to reside in this country is nothing short of an outrage. They may live here, by all means, but don't pretend to be English.
- Martin Walker, Norwich, England
Surely to say you're English is merely a statement of geographic fact, whereas to say you're British is a political statement. I have serious concerns about the way the English have historically treated the Irish - therefore I would never say I were British because to do so would imply approval of certain politics. But I don't consider either statement to have anything to do with culture. Maybe it's just that I was born here - if I'd immigrated, presumably I'd have been taught what Englishness or Britishness are. As it is, no one has ever told me and I've never come across any coherent set of qualities that define one or the other. We are just people - some of us are friendly, some are argumentative, some musical, some shy... That's the same in every country.
- Suzanne, London
Let's face facts. We English, Scottish and Welsh don't need the newly self elected British.
- Frank, Wolverhampton, England
'There's a worry that the growth of English national identity is divisive.' Excuse me? I was born in England therefore I am English - it's not a racist statement, but one of fact!
- Philip, London, England
