Why isn’t ‘Black English’ a census option, asks David Lammy

David Lammy has criticised the absence of a “Black English” option in this year’s census, when respondents were given the option of choosing “White English” as their ethnic group.

Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham and a former government minister, said that it was indicative of the absence of racial equality in the country and described the census form as a “muddle”, with “Black Welsh” and “Asian Welsh” options being available for those living in Wales.

The Office for National Statistics said yesterday that after “testing various options” before this year’s census was held it found that, unlike in Wales, “the evidence did not support a change to include Black English in England”.

It said, however, that there had been options allowing respondents to