Andy Burnham signals support for making 'Black English' and 'Asian English' census options

Résumé détaillé

Andy Burnham signalled he could throw his weight behind the drive by Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde, who wants to challenge the idea that being English means being white

Andy Burnham has said he could support a plan to let Brits identify as 'Black English' or 'Asian English' on the census.

The Prime Minister signalled he could throw his weight behind the drive by Liberal Democrat MP Josh Babarinde, who wants to challenge the idea that being English means being white. Mr Babarinde has brought forward a private member's bill - dubbed the St George's Bill - to offer more ethnicity options on the census so Black or Asian people can define themselves as English.

It comes after Reform MP Suella Braverman triggered fury last month when she suggested only white people can be English.

Pressed on whether he would back it by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, Mr Burnham said: “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.”

Sir Ed told the Commons: “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. Shamefully, even some in this House have argued for this racist ideology. We must reject it, as the Conservative leader (Kemi Badenoch), to her great credit, has done.

“We should start with the census, where the only English option, when you’re asked about your ethnicity, is white English.”

Asian, Black and mixed ethnicity respondents can describe themselves as British but not English. The census in Scotland and Wales offers options such as “Scottish Asian”, and “Black Welsh”.

Bringing forward the Bill on Tuesday, the MP for Eastbourne 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.

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