MP calls for Black English and Asian English census options

A Liberal Democrat MP is calling for the next census to let people identify as Black English or Asian English, arguing that England’s current ethnicity categories do not offer those options. The proposal has cross-party backing, but is unlikely to progress in its current form because of a lack of parliamentary time, the BBC reports.

Josh Babarinde introduced the English Ethnic Identity (census particulars) Bill in the Commons on Tuesday using the 10-minute rule procedure, which allows an MP up to 10 minutes to make the case for a proposed bill. No MP spoke against it during that debate.

The bill, which Babarinde has dubbed the “St George’s Bill”, would broaden the census options. It is backed by Labour MP David Lammy and Conservative MP Sir James Cleverly.

At the 2021 census, “English” appeared only under the white category in the ethnic group section. Babarinde said people identifying as Black or Asian could select “British”, but not “English”; a miscellaneous write-in box was the only alternative. He pointed to options in Wales and Scotland, including a Black Welsh category in Wales and Scottish Asian in Scotland.

Babarinde told the Commons that he was a “proud Englishman” with “proud Nigerian heritage”. He said his family had been born and raised in England, and argued that Englishness should not be reduced to skin colour or ancestry. He also told the BBC he had received death threats for saying that a person did not have to be white to be English.

Lammy said in a statement that he and his mixed-heritage children could not describe themselves on the census as Black or mixed race and English. He said he had long supported changing the form to match the options available in Wales and Scotland.

The proposal comes amid disagreement over whether Englishness is an ethnicity distinct from British identity. Suella Braverman, who defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK, has said she is British Asian but cannot claim to be English, despite being born and educated in England. She has argued that Englishness is an ethnicity and that recognising this does not amount to racism.

Babarinde has asked for the bill to return to the Commons for a second-reading debate on 23 April 2027, St George’s Day. The BBC says it is unlikely to receive further consideration in its current form because parliamentary time is limited. Private members’ bills allow MPs to raise issues and build support for proposals, but do not guarantee a change in the law.