Andy Burnham hints he will back Bill to add 'black English' and 'Asian English' categories to Census

Résumé détaillé

Andy Burnham said he 'wants' to support the legislation when he was challenged Lib Dem leader Ed Davey in the Commons this afternoon.

Published: 12:52 GMT, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 13:46 GMT, 11 November 2026

Andy Burnham has hinted he will back a Bill to add 'black English' and 'Asian English' categories to the Census.

The PM said he 'wants' to support the legislation when he was challenged by Lib Dem leader Ed Davey in the Commons this afternoon.

Sir Ed said the move would tackle 'racist' attitudes towards people who were born and raised in England – but denied the right to call themselves English.

Mr Burnham replied: '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 have seen from some in this House.'

Reform UK MP Suella Braverman recently sparked a row when she argued that only white people can be English.

Introducing the English Ethnic Identity (Census Particulars) Bill to the Commons yesterday, Lib Dem MP Josh Babarinde called for ethnicity questions on the census to be overhauled with more options, including black English and Asian English.

Andy Burnham has hinted he will back a Bill to add 'black English' and 'Asian English' categories to the Census

He said the current situation treats English people with black and Asian heritage as 'marginal', including Conservative former prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Début de l'article, extrait de Daily Mail. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.