Sunder Katwala reflects on what we learnt from focus groups asking people in Leeds and Fareham how integration should work.
The inclusive pride so many Londoners felt in its confident claim to be one of the world’s great global cities was one of the resonant themes of the capital’s success in hosting the 2012 Olympics. Yet the release of the 2011 census, shortly before Christmas, generated a more anxious discussion of diversity. There was also a familiar polarisation – on one side, those who celebrate difference and diversity as enriching the cultural life of the capital, versus those who feel deeply unsettled by the scale and pace of change which they have seen in their lifetimes, writes Sunder Katwala.
British Future has appointed Shirley Cramer as its new chair.
“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.
As the new Rugby League season begins tonight, fans of Salford City Reds are able to move from fretting about whether their club will survive to dreaming of triumphs on the sporting field, writes Sunder Katwala.
The themes of community and trust dominated the Bittersweet Britain: What unites & what divides us debate, held on 22nd January on London’s HMS Belfast to mark British Future’s first birthday, writes Richard Miranda.
To celebrate the first birthday of British Future and the launch of our 2013 State of the Nation poll, we hosted Bittersweet Britain: What unites & what divides us? on Tuesday 22nd January. Check out photos from the event here.
We should not dismiss immigration concern at a national level, even if people’s experience of immigration at a local level is limited, explains British Future’s Sunder Katwala in the new report State of the Nation: Where is bittersweet Britain heading?
In Uniting Our Communities: Integration in 2013, Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP highlights many different ways to make the UK more assimilated, such as elevation of the English language and tolerance of all religions.