Cultural polarisation over attitudes to immigration could generate long-term political headaches for politicians who adopt a tough anti-immigration agenda in search of public support, writes Sunder Katwala.
More couples are bridging the Protestant-Catholic divide than ever before, but many remain unwilling to talk about it, writes Jemimah Steinfeld.
"I'm somewhat unusual in that I come from a Catholic nationalist background, but I'm British and very much a Unionist," says Stephen Goss from Belfast.
On Saturday 19th October British Future and IPPR are co-hosting a "Festival of Englishness" to address a question which is becoming increasingly central to the Britain's national conversation: who defines themselves as English and what does it mean when they do? Featuring top political thinkers and figures from English culture, sport and comedy, "England, my England: A festival of Englishness" will examine exactly what English identity means today and what its implications are for people in this country.
Are you a Grumpy Nostalgic or part of team Jam and Jerusalem? Are you a Northern Soul or a Post-National Cosmopolitan? In an article in the Observer, Sunder Katwala outlines the main tribes that reflect our attitudes towards Modern Britain. They divide along various lines according to criteria such as class, place and age, but significantly unite at other points. It is this unity which says a lot about the country today and which should be built upon, writes Katwala.
As Andy Murray broke the most unwanted record in tennis, 77 years without a British men’s champion, there has been a lot of debate about how much of a British victory this was. However, the statistics highlight that all corners of the UK were united behind Murray, not just Scotland, writes Douglas Jefferson.
One of the most pressing issues today is the sheer amount of young people in need of employment. Since the recession, the rate of people aged 16 to 25 not in work has been steadily increasing, with over 979,000 young people unemployed nationwide between December 2012 and February 2013. The north-east has the highest rates of youth unemployment. What then can be done to help today’s youth, asks Next Generation thinker Matilda Neill.
The black Muslim community is experiencing the highest levels of prejudice in the country, Professor Anthony Heath told a meeting at the House of Commons.
Tracing family history, and hearing about the stories of soldiers in the world wars is just part of the Firepower Royal Artillery Museum, says Doug Jefferson.
In light of antisemitism incidents in France, and new British polling on discrimination, Jemimah Steinfeld investigates the French Jewish community in the UK.
When Stephen Lawrence died on that tragic evening of April 22 1993, I was merely three years old. Yet the legacy of his death reverberated throughout her formative years and continues to plague the police force, writes 23-year-old Promise Campbell.
"I actually desperately wish that central government had a better understanding of the need for, at a local level, for there to be better provisions for young people out of school, said one speaker at our recent debate in Eltham.
Limited opportunities for young people, based on a disconnect between education and employment, was of much greater priority than concerns around race relations for attendees at the Stephen Lawrence: 20 Years On event in Eltham, writes Richard Miranda.
20 years on, we can now see that Stephen Lawrence's death has come to play an important symbolic role, Sunder Katwala writes.
Lord Ahmed's comments blaming his imprisonment for dangerous driving on a Jewish conspiracy are absurd and extreme, says Sunder Katwala.
"Bradford needs more than just one cup final. It needs more winners. People are desperate; people want change.” These words, articulated by one member of the audience at British Future’s Beyond Wembley: What can bring Bradford together? event, struck a chord with many.
Trendsetters from around the globe descended on Britain’s capital at the end of last week for the bi-annual London Fashion Week, which saw a blend of long-established designers showcasing their latest sartorial output next to lesser-known up-and-coming talent. But London Fashion Week symbolises far more than perfect pouts and seams sashaying down the runway. As representative of the British fashion industry on the whole, it was and is incredibly important to the country, writes Jemimah Steinfeld.
An exhibition at the National Maritime Museum on the East India Company is just as much about our past as it is our present, and just as much about Britain as about Asia. After all, things that we regard as quintessentially British were not always, like the curry and the cup of tea, writes Jemimah Steinfeld.
2012 was a year where British pride was at an all time high. The London Olympics, Team GB and the announcement of the royal baby gave us all a renewed sense of pride, but behind these celebrations, the Armed Forces were always visible. Sarah Cottam of Loughborough University talked to a group of young people to find out how they felt about the Armed Forces after 2012.
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1993 to 2013: How has Britain changed since Stephen was killed?
Britain is a fairer and less racist country than it was when Stephen Lawrence was murdered 20 years ago. But there is good sense, too, in the public wariness of over-claiming how much has changed, says Sunder Katwala.
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Tags: Britain, national identity, opportunity, Stephen Lawrence