Key Takeaways
- The number of people who believe "Britishness" is something you are born with has almost doubled in two years, with 36% of people thinking a person must be born in Britain to be truly British.
- Supporters of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK hold the most extreme views, with 71% saying that having British ancestry is a prerequisite for someone to be truly British.
- A significant proportion of Reform UK voters believe being white is an important national characteristic, with 37% saying they would be prouder of Britain if there were fewer people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
- Despite this, a majority of the public still believe being British is rooted in shared values, with 64% of those polled saying that obeying the law is what makes a good British citizen.
- The IPPR is calling on Keir Starmer to develop a programme of national renewal founded on a clear vision of what kind of country Britain should be and what binds it together.
Introduction to Ethno-Nationalism in Britain
The concept of "Britishness" has become a topic of debate in recent years, with a growing number of people believing that it is something you are born with, rather than something that can be acquired through shared values and experiences. According to research carried out by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the number of people who hold this view has almost doubled in two years, with 36% of people thinking that a person must be born in Britain to be truly British. This shift in public opinion has been linked to the rise of ethno-nationalism in Britain, with supporters of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK holding the most extreme views.
The Rise of Reform UK
Supporters of Reform UK are more likely to believe that having British ancestry is a prerequisite for someone to be truly British, with 71% of supporters holding this view. Additionally, 59% of Reform UK supporters believe that the nation is an ethnic, not a civic, community. This suggests that a significant proportion of Reform UK voters believe that being British is tied to ethnicity and ancestry, rather than shared values and experiences. Furthermore, 37% of Reform UK voters said that they would be prouder of Britain if there were fewer people from minority ethnic backgrounds in a decade’s time, highlighting a desire for a more homogeneous society.
The Progressive Vision of Britishness
Despite the rise of ethno-nationalism, a majority of the public still believe that being British is rooted in shared values, rather than ethnicity or ancestry. According to the IPPR analysis, 64% of those polled said that obeying the law is what makes a good British citizen, followed by raising children to be kind (62%) and working hard (48%). This suggests that the majority of the public still hold a progressive vision of Britishness, one that is based on shared values and experiences, rather than ethnicity or ancestry. The IPPR is calling on Keir Starmer to develop a programme of national renewal founded on a clear vision of what kind of country Britain should be and what binds it together.
The Fight Against Ethno-Nationalism
The rise of ethno-nationalism in Britain has been met with criticism from senior politicians, including Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood. Starmer has warned of a "fight for the soul of our country" with the hard right, and has called for a programme of national renewal founded on a clear vision of what kind of country Britain should be and what binds it together. Mahmood, who is a practising Muslim and was born in Britain to Pakistani parents, has said that she is "very proud to be a citizen of a country that is as diverse as we are". The home secretary has also highlighted the importance of diversity and inclusion, saying that Britain is "a multifaith, multi-ethnic country" that "allows people to have the calling of their own conscience to live their own life free, but also has common rules that we all live by so that we live in peace together".
The Importance of Inclusive National Identity
The debate over what it means to be British highlights the importance of inclusive national identity. Nick Garland, an associate fellow at IPPR, has stressed that "a vast majority of the public still believes in a nation built on shared values and common interests, not birthplace or background". The urgent task for the government, and for progressives more broadly, is to give voice to this belief by setting out a compelling alternative vision of the nation: a story of who we are that looks forward, not back. The fight over what it means to be British must be met by rejecting division and reclaiming a shared, inclusive national project. This requires a clear vision of what kind of country Britain should be and what binds it together, one that is based on shared values and experiences, rather than ethnicity or ancestry.
