Uncharted Territory

In a (perhaps surprisingly for the Guardian) sober and factual piece, reporting rather than opinion, Leo Benedict looks at Britain's coming future. Native Brits are projected to be a minority in the United Kingdom by the century's end. Sooner in England. Within ten years in London and Birmingham. Read the whole thing.

According to the last census, in 2001, 30% of London residents had been born outside England - that's 2.2 million people, to which we can add the unknown tens of thousands who didn't complete a census form. And even this total takes no account of the contribution of the city's second- and third-generation immigrants, many of whom have inherited the traditions of their parents and grandparents. Throughout the 1990s, Greater London was the fastest growing part of the UK - and yet the white population in that time actually fell.

Despite the 'mongrel English' bit (what does he mean ?) this paragraph is illuminating.

In fact, the mongrel English, fissured with post-imperial self-doubt, neither American nor fully European - nor even Welsh, Irish or Scots - have a rather thin national identity all round. We are proud of our country, but we can't remember why. In Londoners - who seldom have a word of praise for the great city of their birth - this is especially pronounced. The private English also seem less susceptible to big ideas. Our national religion is perhaps the weakest in the world, and in the 2001 census almost 16% of Londoners said they had "no religion" at all - more than all the Hindus, Muslims, Jews and Buddhists put together. Londoners resent immigrants less than they might, in short, because they have so few values left to be threatened.

Spot-on there, I think. Although to be fair the natives have also voted with their feet. In this Madeleine Bunting piece from the same issue of the Guardian the phrase 'white flight' is used without irony quotes.

It's not all gloomy. The news that black Africans now outnumber Afro-Caribbeans in the capital should mean less talk of 'black crime' - the two communities have very different cultures. Think Damilola Taylor. Think the people who killed him.

No matter what your politics it's worth a read. Credit to the Guardian - and how often do I say that ? I enjoyed the piece on my favourite recent arrivals - the Koreans of New Malden, whose youth hang about the streets in threatening gangs on a Sunday morning, playing guitars, singing hymns and inviting you to their churches.

In fact only one ethnic group isn't covered - the poor, old, valueless (both spiritually and politically) Native Brits.

Have a nice day.