Multicultural Britain – Successes and Challenges Paul Fairclough Director Partnership Programmes British Council Poland 24 June 2006

Introduction I will suggest that: the ethnically and religiously diverse nature of British society has been hugely beneficial for Britain that the British approaches towards developing a multicultural society have been largely positive – and are evolving that major challenges remain

Some key facts Around 8% do not classify themselves as ‘White’ (4.6m people) Around 50% of those are from South Asia Around 5% are Chinese Around 25% as Black or Black British There are around 1.5m Muslims, 550,000 Hindus, 330,000 Sikhs and 260,000 Jews in UK There are around 200,000 Gypsies in UK

British Multiculturalism ‘accommodative multiculturalism’ ‘’It interprets and applies its laws, and formulates and implements its policies, in a culturally sensitive manner, and gives its minorities the freedom and sometimes the resources to maintain their languages and cultures’’ Lord Parekh Statistics by ethnic origin or religion – for equal opportunities

The benefits of a multicultural society 1 Economic benefits: ‘’ It is estimated that in 1999/2000 migrants in the UK contributed £31.2 billion in taxes and consumed £28.8 billion in benefits and state services, a net fiscal contribution of approximately £2.5 billion after rounding’’ (UK Government report 2002) Ageing population/EU expansion Migrants bring new skills and experiences plus trading links

The benefits of a multicultural society 2 Cultural benefits: Popular music, Drama, Comedy, Literature, the Arts Fusions of forms/ hybrid cultures

Perceptions of multiculturalism in UK A source of creativity and innovation In London 300 languages spoken Over 25% of the population of London were born in another country ‘’ It is this mix of people that makes London a vibrant melting pot for innovation, originality and cutting edge creativity’’ (The leader of the London Olympic Bid)

Attitudes to race in UK

Attitudes to race in UK (2)

Challenges - Education

Challenges – Asylum ,700 asylum applications (75% rejected) ,900 applications (89% rejected) 26% welcomed asylum seekers (MORI) 85% recognised media bias (MORI)

Challenges: Geopolitical, Economic, Cultural Impact of Iraq war Alienation – fundamentalism Unemployment within some communities Cultural divides/conflicts

Key success factors Appropriate and enforced legislation (e.g Race Relations Amendment Act – 2000) Pragmatic common sense solutions – not ideology A responsible media – BBC, the tabloid press? A strong NGO sector Citizenship education Representation in public sector, politics and role models Economic and employment policies Open debate – multiculturalism in UK today – social cohesion/cultural pluralism

Vision for the future ‘A shared identity and common sense of belonging goes hand in hand with love of diversity’ ‘The fundamental principle is to treat people equally and to treat them with due respect for difference’ ‘To treasure the rights and freedoms of individuals and to cherish belonging, cohesion and solidarity’ (Runnymede Trust)