Date: 10 February 2012
By Sunder Katwala
What a disappointment Fabio Capello turned out to be.
The England football manager has resigned – protesting at his authority being undermined by being his overruled in his desire to allow an England captain to face court charges over alleged racial abuse without relinquishing the armband.
The problem was never that Fabio was foreign. Rather, he failed the integration test.
Date: 7 February 2012
By Sunder Katwala
It is the constitutional duty of the head of a republican pressure group to provide a dissenting note during the high days and holidays of Monarchical ceremony.
But if Graham Smith of Republic may have half a point in his call on the mediato ensure the alternative anti-Monarchy view gets a voice he also massively overstates his two central claims, that the Monarchy “is able to co-opt almost the entire media output of this country to its own advantage and a media that is failing to report the true story of a changing public attitude toward royalty and monarchy”. Neither claim stands up to scrutiny of the evidence.
Date: 6 February 2012
Ipsos Mori research for British Future has found that the Welsh are more enthusiastic about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee than the English and the Scottish.
70% of Welshpeople expect the jubilee will lift the mood of the British public compared to 69% of English people asked, and only 55% of people from Scotland.
But, when asked about the Olympics, English respondents were the most positive with 66% believing it would be good for the mood of the British public, compared to 57% of Scots.
Date: 6 February 2012
Ever since the Home Secretary announced her plan for the new integration strategy in June 2011, we have been waiting for it to materialise with a mixture of excitement and anxiety, says Zrinka Bralo.
Excitement because it might be different and better from those preceding it, and anxiety because of recent government announcements about further immigration restrictions. The rumour in the blogosphere is that a draft integration strategy called ‘Creating the Conditions for Integration’ has been circulating in Whitehall since November 2011. At The Forum, the organisation where I work, we are curious to see what’s in store for the future of integration as this is what we do and we need a constructive environment to be able to keep doing it.
Date: 4 February 2012
By Sunder Katwala
The Six Nations is a great tournament, drawing in many of us who don’t pay a great deal of attention to rugby for the rest of the year. And Scotland versus England at Murrayfield on Saturday afternoon probably does not need any additional political spice as context. It is hard to imagine the fans will be discussing devo-max at half-time.
Date: 3 February 2012
The challenges of unemployment and rising living costs can be particularly damaging to young people. Providing them with support is essential and effective, argues Sarah Webster.
At City Gateway, I work with some of the toughest young people from the seemingly hopeless estates in Tower Hamlets. Each day we deal with cases of physical or sexual abuse, homelessness, illness and bereavements as well as concerning CRB checks. They have been written off by their teachers and would be considered unemployable (usually having less than 5 GCSEs). Yet when given education, support and encouragement – with the end goal being a link with job opportunities in city firms through our apprenticeship programme – they are transformed.
Date: 1 February 2012
Englishness is finally finding a voice, after more than a century. Why has it been muted this long, and is it time now for a strong civic nation, or will an England of blood and soil emerge?
By Sunder Katwala
Date: 30 January 2012
A citizenship ceremony for the newest British passport holders should be held at the beginning of the London Olympics, said British Future director Sunder Katwala.
Date: 26 January 2012
British Future director Sunder Katwala was interviewed by Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman on the subject of people
British Future reports examine public attitudes and make recommendations for change on topics ranging from future immigration and integration policy to how communications can help combat prejudice."
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