Immigration is often among the most heated of public debates. Lord Ashcroft’s new report captures why immigration is such a challenging public issue, for governments of any party, and offers clues too as to how to engage the public constructively in the choices Britain makes about immigration, writes Sunder Katwala.

As the first world war centenary approaches, how should we commemorate those who lost their lives in service of this country? It’s a question that has attracted some controversy of late, amid claims that recipients of the Victoria Cross from Commonwealth countries are not being recognised, writes Steve Ballinger.

Modern Britain has provided a vibrant canvas for young British Chinese to explore their identity. This can be seen through their leisure pursuits, which present an interesting hybrid. While Hong Kong culture remains important, due to the migration history of the majority of British Chinese families, living and growing up in the UK has more than made its mark, and the importance of media from mainland China, Korea and Japan is growing, writes Dr Alex Tan .

If asked for an example of typically English music, you might think of Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams or Henry Purcell. But some amongst us would instead opt for the operatic heavy metal of Iron Maiden, argues Helena Stroud, who recently saw the band live as part of their tour entitled Maiden England.

The general reader can choose from thousands of books published on the war, in our publication Do Mention The War we have produced our own bookshelf with 5 fiction and 5 non-fiction books we recommend,Which books have you learnt most from? Share your recommendations at #WWI books

Over at The Building Centre in central London, We Made 2012 covers how the design and construction industries in the UK worked hard and thought outside the box to produce a truly memorable Olympic Games. Featuring before and after images of the site, alongside models and videos, the exhibition looks at key challenges met along the way, such as how an area that was previously barren by overcrowded London standards was given an Olympic-standard water supply and transport network, writes Jemimah Steinfeld.

Britain’s economic success and social mix has been built through the efforts, creativity and talent of migrant entrepreneurs. Given their ability to create wealth and jobs, David Cameron promised back in 2010 to reform the immigration rules to allow more foreign entrepreneurs to set up in the UK. The prime minister pledged to “put out the red carpet” for those with good business acumen through the Tier 1 route. But how well is it working asks Heather Rolfe.

As artistic director of Northern Lines Community Theatre Project, Javaad Alipoor recently made a play called City Stories: 120 years of City, 120 years of Bradford, which responded to Bradford City’s epic season. Bradford City was a natural choice for theatre, since the club’s history reflects the history of Bradford at large, writes Javaad Alipoor.

It is a sign of the health and maturity of civic Scottish nationalism that sport matters so much less to nationhood than it did a generation ago, writes Sunder Katwala.