Senior MPs are pushing to broaden census ethnicity options in England so residents can define themselves as black English or Asian English, challenging the current categorization that restricts English identity exclusively to white respondents.
St George’s Bill in Parliament
Liberal Democrat president Josh Babarinde introduced the proposed legislation in the House of Commons under the 10-minute rule procedure, the BBC reported. The cross-party push has attracted backing from senior political figures across parties, including David Lammy, Sir James Cleverly, and Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, according to The Guardian.
Babarinde told MPs during his speech that most people believe nationality transcends skin color. Most people in this country already agree that you don’t have to be white to be English,
Babarinde said, as reported by The Guardian.
🏴 You don’t have to be White to be English. Most of the country agrees. My cross-party St. George’s Bill reaffirms and reinforces Englishness. It doesn’t redefine it. https://t.co/EZhOvcb0lh
Supporters of the measure point to the census structures already active elsewhere in the UK. Scotland and Wales offer regional hyphenated options such as black Welsh and Scottish Asian, whereas the census in England places Englishness strictly beneath the white ethnicity heading. The English Ethnic Identity (Census Particulars) Bill would change the census legislation by adding options to identify as, for example, ‘Black English’, ‘Asian English’, or ‘Mixed English’.
At present, individuals must select a broad category—white, black, Asian, mixed-race, or other—before supplying further particulars, such as black African, black Caribbean, or Asian Chinese. About 11% of the UK-born population in England and Wales—amounting to approximately 5 million people—are from a minority ethnic background.
Political Row Over English Identity
The legislative push arrives amid a broader debate concerning who qualifies to claim an English ethnic identity. Reform UK MP Suella Braverman asserted that she does not consider herself ethnically English because her heritage is south Asian, maintaining that national identity rests upon ancestry and generational ties to the soil.
Braverman stated she does not take a ‘laissez-faire, anything-goes’ attitude to identity, taking instead a conservative approach and asserting that Englishness is an ethnicity that has existed for centuries. These comments serve as part of the impetus behind the efforts of certain MPs to alter the upcoming census so that Englishness is not treated separately from ethnicity.
Should someone be able to identify as both Black and English on the census? Currently, 'English' only appears under the White ethnic group options. Today, MP Josh Babarinde will propose changing this so people of all ethnic backgrounds can identify as English. What do you…
Those remarks drew pushback from within Braverman’s own party. Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf distanced himself from her view, stating publicly that Ashley Cole is English, The Guardian reported.
Babarinde revealed he faced severe vitriol for advancing the legislative change. He stated that he received death threats telling him his family remains foreign, remarks prompted by his assertion that English identity is not exclusive to white citizens. Some of the messages told him he was not English and never would be.
Babarinde Uses Family History and Royal Roots to Argue Against Bloodline Definitions of Englishness
During his parliamentary address, Babarinde drew upon family history and national heritage to argue against a single-bloodline definition of Englishness. 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,
Babarinde said, according to BBC News.
He pointed out that the royal family holds German roots, asking whether the King should be excluded from Englishness under narrow ancestry rules, the BBC noted. David Lammy added support by highlighting practical exclusions on official forms, BBC News reported.
🚨WATCH: Motion brought in UK Parliament allowing Non-White people to claim they are ethnically English This is the full speech by Lib Dem MP Josh Babarinde in which he claims he wants to be recognised ethnically as English on the census This is despite Josh previously stating… pic.twitter.com/JXbVv4grQm
Babarinde was elected to the position of Liberal Democrat party president in November 2025, defeating Prue Bray with 68.8% of the vote and assuming office on 1 January 2026. Notable previous presidents include Lord Pack (2020-2026), Tim Farron (2011-2015) and Simon Hughes (2005-2009).
It is quite absurd that neither I or my mixed heritage children can describe themselves as black or mixed race and English on our census form.
David Lammy
MPs Agree to Introduce Bill Before Second Reading in April 2027
MPs agreed to the bill’s introduction without holding a vote. Babarinde scheduled the second reading of the private member’s bill for St George’s Day on Friday, 23 April 2027, though such legislation rarely proceeds to full enactment.