Andy Burnham has signalled support (Image: Getty)
Britons should have a broader range of options on the census to allow themselves to be defined as both Black and English, a Liberal Democrat MP has said. Josh Babarinde said there have been attempts to “reduce Englishness to a skin colour and to a bloodline” but argued that being white has nothing to do with being English.
Introducing the English ethnic identity (census particulars) Bill to the Commons, Mr Babarinde called for ethnicity questions on the census to be overhauled with more options, including Black English and Asian English. It comes after Reform UK MP Suella Braverman (Fareham and Waterlooville) sparked a row over racism when she suggested only white people can be English.
Addressing MPs on Tuesday, Mr Babarinde argued the current situation treats English people with Black and Asian heritage as “marginal”, including Conservative former prime minister Rishi Sunak.
The 10-minute rule Bill, which is unlikely to proceed without Government backing, has received cross-party support, including from Labour’s former deputy prime minister David Lammy.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has also appeared to back the bill. He said in Parliament: “I haven’t looked at the detail of the bill, but I stand here thinking that I would want to support that bill to directly take on the poisonous politics that we’ve seen from some in this house who are seeking to divide us.
“We must move on from a decade of division and drift in this country. We must bring people back together. I am interested in working with anyone in this house who shares that aim.”
Mr Babarinde also called it the St George’s Bill, named after the patron saint of England who, according to tradition, was from modern-day Turkey.
The Eastbourne MP said: “Do you have to be white to be English? This St George’s Bill says no.
“I am a proud Englishman. I have proud Nigerian heritage.
“But my parents and I were born in England, we grew up in England, our home is in England.
“Yet some voices attempt to reduce Englishness to a skin colour and to a bloodline.
“Well, if we’re going to go down that path, my mum’s side of the family has been English for as far back as we have traced.”
He told MPs that since introducing the Bill, he has received death threats, with one telling him to “go home while you have the legs and breath to carry you”.
He said: “In the ethnicity question in the census, the only box that says English sits under the white category.
“If you are Black, the form offers you Black British, if you are Asian, it offers you Asian British – but not English.
“Now, the same question in the Welsh census offers a Black Welsh category. In Scotland, the census offers Scottish Asian, for example.
“Yet the best that England offers in our census is a miscellaneous writing box that may as well be the margin.
“But is (Rishi Sunak) a former prime minister, only marginal to our country? Is (David Lammy) a former deputy prime minister and co-sponsor of this Bill only marginal to our country? What about Ian Wright, Lewis Hamilton, Cynthia Erivo?”
The Lib Dem MP argued the Bill takes “nothing away from anyone,” only adding choices that reflect how people already see themselves.
It is due to return to the Commons on April 23, 2027 – St George’s Day.\
Andy Burnham Backs Black English Option on Census as Row Over British Identity Intensifies
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled his support for introducing new ethnic identity options on England’s census, including the categories ‘Black English’ and ‘Asian English’, triggering a fresh political debate about national identity, race and what it means to be English in modern Britain.
The proposal has attracted considerable attention at Westminster, with politicians from different parties expressing support for changes they believe would allow more people to see their identities properly represented in official statistics. However, the issue has also exposed disagreements about how national identity should be defined and whether the existing census system adequately reflects the country’s increasingly diverse population.
Burnham indicated his willingness to support the proposed changes during Prime Minister’s Questions after being challenged by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey. The exchange followed the introduction of legislation designed to expand the ethnic identity options available to people completing the census.
The proposal was put forward by Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde, who believes that people with Black and Asian heritage should have the opportunity to identify themselves as English rather than being restricted to existing categories that do not fully reflect their personal identities.
Responding to Davey’s question, Burnham said he had not yet examined every detail of the legislation but believed he would want to support it. He argued that politicians should challenge divisive approaches to national identity and work towards bringing communities together.
His intervention has given the proposal additional political significance because government support could be essential if the legislation is eventually to make meaningful progress through Parliament.
The debate over who can identify as English
At the centre of the controversy is the way England’s census currently records ethnic identity.
The existing questionnaire provides a White English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British category within the White ethnic group. People from Black, Asian and other minority backgrounds have different options, including British identities, but cannot select equivalent Black English or Asian English categories.
Supporters of the proposed legislation argue that this creates an unnecessary distinction between ethnicity and national identity for people who consider themselves both English and members of an ethnic minority.
They believe that someone born and raised in England should be able to describe themselves as English without having their identity determined by the colour of their skin or their family background.
Babarinde has argued that the existing arrangements leave many people feeling that their English identity is not adequately recognised in official statistics.
He has also pointed out that the proposed changes would not remove existing options. Instead, they would introduce additional choices for people who wish to use them.
For supporters, the principle is straightforward: individuals should have greater freedom to describe their own identities rather than being required to fit into categories that may not accurately reflect how they see themselves.
The debate is particularly relevant ahead of the next census, scheduled for 2031. Changes to the questionnaire could influence how demographic information is collected and how different communities are represented in official statistics.
Ed Davey challenges the government
Sir Ed Davey used Prime Minister’s Questions to make the case for changing the census categories.
The Liberal Democrat leader argued that political discussions about English identity had become increasingly divisive. He specifically raised concerns about suggestions that people from minority ethnic backgrounds could not genuinely identify as English.
Davey referred to the position previously expressed by Reform UK MP Suella Braverman, whose comments about English identity had generated considerable controversy.
The Liberal Democrat leader also praised Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for rejecting an ethnic definition of Englishness.
He then challenged Burnham directly, asking whether the government would support Babarinde’s proposed legislation.
Burnham’s response was notable because he indicated that he wanted to support the bill even though he had not yet examined its detailed provisions.
He described the politics surrounding the issue as poisonous and argued that Britain needed to move beyond a decade of division and political drift.
His remarks suggested that the census proposal could become part of a broader attempt to establish a more inclusive understanding of national identity.
However, the prime minister’s comments were an expression of support in principle rather than confirmation that the legislation had already been approved by the government.
A proposal attracting cross-party attention
One of the most interesting aspects of the debate is the involvement of politicians from several different political parties.
Babarinde’s proposal has received support from Labour’s former deputy prime minister David Lammy, alongside Conservative former foreign secretary James Cleverly.
This cross-party interest demonstrates that questions surrounding national identity do not necessarily follow traditional political divisions.
Some politicians believe the census should reflect the changing composition of British society, while others may have reservations about introducing additional ethnic classifications or changing established statistical arrangements.
The challenge for lawmakers will be finding a system that provides meaningful information without creating unnecessary complexity.
Census categories are important because they influence how government departments, researchers and public institutions understand the population. Information collected through the census can help inform decisions about public services, local communities, housing, education and wider social policy.
If people believe the available categories do not adequately represent them, the accuracy and usefulness of some demographic information could be affected.
Supporters therefore argue that expanding the choices could make official statistics more representative.
Why the 2031 census matters
The next census will be particularly important because Britain continues to experience changes in its population, communities and patterns of identity.
For many people, national identity is not determined by a single factor. Someone may identify as English, British, Black, Asian or as belonging to several cultural communities simultaneously.
The proposed options are intended to recognise that these identities do not necessarily contradict one another.
Scotland and Wales already provide certain ethnic identity options that combine national and ethnic descriptions, including Scottish Asian and Black Welsh.
Supporters of the English proposal argue that similar choices should be available in England.
They also believe the change could help ensure that official records better reflect the experiences of people whose families have lived in England for generations but whose ethnic backgrounds are not represented by the existing White English category.
The issue could have implications beyond the census itself. More detailed demographic information may help researchers understand how different communities experience education, employment, healthcare and other aspects of everyday life.
Nevertheless, census changes must be carefully designed. The questions need to be clear, consistent and understandable to everyone completing the questionnaire.
Political consequences for Reform UK
The debate has also created difficulties for Reform UK, particularly following comments from some of its politicians about the meaning of English identity.
The party has frequently placed national identity, immigration and cultural integration at the centre of its political messaging.
Consequently, suggestions that Englishness should be understood primarily through ethnicity have become a sensitive issue in the wider political debate.
The census proposal directly challenges the idea that English identity should be restricted according to racial background.
Reform UK figures have criticised aspects of the proposed changes, arguing that the government should not interfere unnecessarily with established definitions or statistical arrangements.
However, supporters of the bill maintain that allowing additional choices does not take anything away from people who already identify as White English.
The disagreement illustrates a wider political question: whether national identity should primarily reflect ancestry, cultural heritage, citizenship, place of birth or an individual’s own sense of belonging.
There is no single answer that captures every personal experience, which is precisely why the issue has become so contested.
What happens next?
Despite Burnham’s indication that he would support the proposal, the legislation still faces a parliamentary process.
Babarinde introduced the English Ethnic Identity (Census Particulars) Bill through the 10-minute rule procedure. This mechanism allows MPs to introduce proposed legislation and explain its purpose in a short parliamentary speech.
However, introducing a bill through this procedure does not guarantee that it will receive the parliamentary time necessary to become law.
Government backing will therefore be particularly important if the proposal is to progress.
Ministers would also need to consider the practical implications of changing the census questionnaire, including how new categories would be worded, how responses would be recorded and how the resulting information would be incorporated into official statistics.
The Office for National Statistics would have an important role in ensuring that any changes are statistically meaningful and properly implemented.
There will also be questions about whether additional consultation is required before the 2031 census arrangements are finalised.
A wider question about modern British identity
Ultimately, the debate surrounding Black English and Asian English options is about more than a questionnaire.
It reflects a broader discussion about how Britain understands itself and how people from different backgrounds can belong to the same national community.
For Burnham, supporting the proposal offers an opportunity to emphasise his stated commitment to challenging division and encouraging a shared sense of belonging.
For Davey and Babarinde, the legislation represents a practical way of addressing what they consider an unnecessary gap in the current census categories.
For critics, the proposal raises questions about whether introducing more detailed ethnic classifications is the right approach to representing national identity.
These disagreements are likely to continue as Parliament considers the issue.
What is clear is that the census plays an important role in recording the changing nature of society. Its categories influence how people are represented in official statistics, making the wording of individual questions more significant than it might initially appear.
The challenge facing politicians is to create a system that recognises individual identities while maintaining reliable and useful demographic information.
With the 2031 census approaching, the government will eventually have to decide whether to turn Burnham’s expression of support into concrete legislative action.
For millions of people who consider themselves English regardless of their ethnic background, the outcome could represent an important change in how their identities are officially recognised. The coming parliamentary debate will determine whether that possibility becomes reality.