The widespread rioting, looting and destruction of property in France saw the issue of integration being thrust into the spotlight.
I have often made the point that the UK is a successful multi-racial democracy – especially when compared to European counterparts such as France and Germany.
On the Henry Jackson Society’s 2020 National Resilience Index – which I co-authored with counter-extremism expert Nikita Malik – post-Brexit UK ranked higher than both major EU member-states. The UK outperformed France and Germany on ‘sub-indicators’ such as national identity and sense of belonging, altruistic behaviours and attitudes towards fellow citizens, and public happiness and optimism. It also fared better when it came to public trust in law-and-order and civil-society institutions.
While there are improvements to be made when it comes to integration in the UK – as demonstrated by last year’s sectarian Leicester disorders – it is a society that is nowhere near as segregated as other Western countries such as the United States.
John Burn-Murdoch, columnist and chief data reported of the Financial Times, recently produced an insightful analysis which showed that the US has considerably more racial and ethnic segregation than the UK. London, for example, has a lower level of ethnic segregation than a string of major US cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Houston.
It should be of no surprise that most ethnic-minority Britons – 80% according to a recent British Future study – believe that the UK is a better place to live as a minority when compared to France, Germany, and the United States.
We mustn’t rest on our laurels in Britain – there is still work to be done in terms of improving social cohesion and equality of opportunity.
But the significant strides we have made as a multi-racial democracy should be a source of national pride.
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