Ethnicity: How areas with large immigrant populations tried to keep Britain in the European Union

By Leicestershire Correspondent

In one or two decades time would we, as ‘Leave’ supporters have had enough genuine British voters to secure a Brexit outcome?

Firstly one must assess the definition of the word ‘Nation’.  Both the Cambridge and Oxford English Dictionaries’ clearly concur with the view held by nationalists in respect of British national identity.

Noun

‘A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory.’ (Oxford English Dictionary)

‘A country, especially when thought of as a large group of people living in one area with their own government, language, traditions, etc.: All the nations of the world will be represented at the conference. The Germans, as a nation, are often thought to be well organized.’ (Cambridge English Dictionary)

‘A large group of people of the same race who share the same language, traditions, and history, but who might not all live in one area.’ (Cambridge English Dictionary)

As Nationalists and Patriots, we believe rightly that British people are those made up from the English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh. We have for decades campaigned against the notion and idealism that promotes false national identities; British Asian, British African, British European and British Muslim etc. Therefore, for the purpose of demography and this article White British is in fact British. Moreover, if an English person is quite rightly British someone of Indian or African descent can’t be as they are clearly not English, nor Scottish, Northern Irish or Welsh by ethnicity!

As many of us stated months ago the political discourse over immigration and its impact, would and has huge part in the outcome on the decision to vote to leave the European Union. Lord Ashcroft’s polling (24 June 16) citied ‘One third (33%) said the main reason was that leaving “offered the best chance for the UK to regain control over immigration and its own borders’. Evidence by Ashcroft also found ‘for Remain voters, the single most important reason for their decision was that “the risks of voting to leave the EU looked too great when it came to things like the economy, jobs and prices” (43%).’ (Ashcroft, 24 June 16)

The importance of immigration and nationhood over the outcome of the EU referendum can be confounded by again through research by Ashcroft, which importantly highlighted ‘81% of Leave voters regarded multiculturalism and 80% regarded immigration as “forces for ill”, compared to ‘19% and 20% of Remain voters respectively’. Add to this Caelainn Barr, writing for The Guardian showed 270 districts that had a lower proportion than average of people born outside the UK in 2011, in 229 (85%) the majority vote was for Leave. Of the 78 districts with a higher than average population born outside the UK, only 44% voted Leave. (Barr, 24 June 2016)

As the graph below shows, the lowest Leave votes were mainly in urban areas with high non UK-born populations, in the London boroughs and several university cities. Lord Ashcroft survey found ‘white voters voted to leave the EU by 53% to 47%. Two thirds (67%) of those describing themselves as Asian voted to remain, as did three quarters (73%) of black voters. Nearly six in ten (58%) of those describing themselves as Christian voted to leave; seven in ten Muslims voted to remain.’ (Ashcroft, 24 June 16)

In summary according to figures by Ashcroft: Leave the European Union vote percentages based on race and culture:

White – 53% (majority Leave)

Asian – 33% (minority Leave)

Black – 27%% (minority Leave)

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Christian – 58% (majority Leave)

Muslim – 30% (minority Leave)

 

It is important and worth noting deprivation by itself did not explain the Leave vote, as many have stated. As the results in London show the Leave vote was generally higher in places with a predominantly White British population, and those whom reside in outer London. It was inner London boroughs with generally much greater demographic changes, and larger immigrant populations that returned large Remain votes.

After the EU referendum result the question now arises: Should people born abroad be precluded from voting in British elections or should they serve a qualifying period of at least eighteen years?

 

Notes and further reading:

Ashcroft. M (24 June 16) How the United Kingdom voted on Thursday… and why

Link 1   (Accessed 08 July 16)

There has been more inward migration since the last census from 2011, which has seen a continued decline in the overall White-British or Indigenous population.

Link 2   (Accessed 08 June 16)

Electoral Commission: European Union Referendum 2016

Link 3    (Accessed 08 July 16)

Barr. C (Friday 24 June) The Guardian: The areas and demographics where the Brexit vote was won

Link 4   (Accessed 08 July 16)