Don’t believe the diversity doomsters – Britain is doing just fine
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Version 0 of 1. Welcome to the election. Today’s the day: the dissolution of parliament, the issuing of writs for elections in all 650 constituencies. You will hear quite a bit about the state of diverse Britain, particularly from politicos banging the anti-immigration drum. Here are some things they probably won’t tell you. Last November, in Windsor Great Park, a group of experts met to discuss how we are doing in terms of migration and integration. They knew it was a hot topic, for the prevailing narrative isn’t a good one. Not only are there too many different folks here, but the task of moulding them into a coherent whole is proving very difficult, insist the chicken lickens. Quite apart from the cost, there is the social cost. With all these different cultures and traditions, we are loosening the societal ties that bind. But, after a good look, the experts found things were nowhere near that bad. “In the wake of the 2001 riots and the 7/7 bombings, there were widespread fears that Britain was undergoing a sharpening of ethnic polarisation and ghettoisation,” they said. “A decade later, neighbourhood residential integration has increased, while Britain’s ethnic minorities have experienced a continuing transformation of their position in British society as marked by improving educational performance, expanding citizenship practices and broadening political engagement.” They found ethnic segregation rates in schools “are decreasing in London and other major cities”. And some of those groups that were struggling seem to be doing much better. “A silent revolution in education has occurred with those ethnic groups seen as the most disadvantaged, making rapid progress driven by the groups themselves, selective migration policies and education reform.” Hats off to Bangladeshi Brits, whose degree qualifications have quadrupled to 20%. And Brits of Pakistani origin. The number of them gaining degree qualifications has risen by 25%. And if the issue is skin difference, then people increasingly don’t seem to see it. “In England, more than three-quarters of south Asian and Caribbean ethnic groups identify with a UK national identity,” says the summary. “Non-white minorities also show high levels of political and civic engagement that parallel those of the white majority.” So enjoy your election, if only for the spectacle. There are many challenges, for we are a work in progress. But when the doomsters say diverse Britain is a tale of woe, understand that that’s just part of the show. |