British Future Report on:
Identity, Integration, Migration & Opportunity
A new report by British Future, a new thinktank, State of the nation: Where is bittersweet Britain heading? features essays based on their latest Ipsos MORI polling on questions of identity, integration, migration and opportunity.
The report is based on a public opinion poll carried out in November 2012 which canvassed the views of 2,515 adults across the UK. It looked at attitudes towards social cohesion, national identity and causes of tension and divisions.
The headline findings from the poll included the following:
- As found in previous surveys, people view immigration as more of an issue at the national level than a problem within their local area. 57% respondents thought that, nationally, tensions between immigrants and people born here were the major cause of social divisions in the UK, whereas 41% respondents thought that, in their local area, tensions between immigrants and people born here were the major cause of social division.
- A majority of the British public views migrant integration as a compromise between host and migrant culture. Whilst 37% respondents thought that people coming here should prioritise British culture over the culture in their country of origin, over half (51%) thought that people coming here should combine British culture with that of their home country in any way they wished.
- The public is broadly liberal in terms of the factors viewed as important for national identity. In answer to the question 'Which of the following, if any, are the most important for being British?', 50% said free speech, 46% said respect for the law, 41% said speaking English, 38% said treating men and women equally, and 29% said respect for people from all ethnic backgrounds.
The report features essays by Sunder Katwala, Ian Birrell and Rachael Jolley and focuses on subjects such as public concern about immigration, the public view of integration, and identity.
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By Migrants Rights News