Burnham says he is likely to support census bill on Black English and Asian English

Andy Burnham said he is likely to support a bill that would let people in England describe themselves as Black English or Asian English in the census. He said so at prime minister's questions, after Ed Davey asked him whether he would back the proposal. The Guardian reported the exchange on 11 November 2026.

The bill was drawn up by Josh Babarinde, the Liberal Democrat MP for Eastbourne. It is what is known as a 10-minute rule bill, a type of short backbench proposal introduced in the House of Commons, the lower chamber of Parliament. Such a bill would need government time in the Commons to have a chance of becoming law.

Burnham said he had not looked at the detail of the bill but would want to support it.

The national census is the official count of the population, and its ethnic group question shapes how official statistics describe communities. In England, that question offers "English" only within the White category. Asian, Black, mixed and other respondents can describe themselves as British but have no option to describe themselves as English. The censuses in Scotland and Wales, by contrast, offer options such as "Scottish Asian" and "Black Welsh".

Babarinde's proposal would change that position for England. About 11% of the UK-born population in England and Wales come from a minority ethnic background, according to the same reporting.

Babarinde has argued the current wording does not reflect how many people see their own identity. He said 60% of England's World Cup squad would not technically be classified as English on the census under the current definition.

The bill has cross-party backing, including from David Lammy and James Cleverly, a Conservative former foreign secretary.