Brits more tolerant in ‘multicultural’ Britain

New research from Opinium Research suggests that British people think we have become more tolerant as a country, and this appears to be reflected in the hopes and beliefs of ethnic minorities in the UK. Just under half (48%) of White Britons think that the United Kingdom has become a less racist country in that time, with a similar proportion of ethnic minorities (46%) agreeing. Seventy years ago in Britain issues of race and identity were unfamiliar to most. However, since then the face of the nation has changed rapidly.

Opinium's latest report looks into whether we truly have become comfortable with the multicultural society we’ve grown into, from both sides of the divide. Yet there remains many complicated issues around culture and identity still to be understood. For example, for almost three quarters (72%) of White Britons the country in which they live in is the single most important part of their identity. However, for many ethnic minorities there are other layers which affect their sense of identity, as half consider their religion or ethnicity as the most important part of their identity compared to only 10% of White Britons.

Similarly, what it means to be British and what makes us proud differs in many ways depending upon your background. White Britons often concentrate on some of the more traditional aspects of being British (such as the British humour and English language) while ethnic minorities were much more likely to focus on aspects of modern British society such as multiculturalism.

However, all, regardless of their heritage, equally seem to share a pride in the individual freedom and democracy that remain the cornerstones of British society past and present. Perhaps it is around these shared values of freedom and democracy that we can build a lasting multicultural and multiracial society that feels at ease with itself.

Click here to download a copy of the Opinium 'Multicultural Britain' report.

For further information, visit www.opinium.co.uk