Race & ethnicity - Black Britain and the Brexit debate

Where does race and ethnicity play out in the Brexit debate?

Britain’s four million Black and Asian voters emerged as a crucial electoral battleground during the Brexit referendum in 2016.

Brexit has raised questions about immigration, race, identity and the Commonwealth, sparking vigorous debates.

A complex picture

Trevor Phillips, former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, last year argued that the Remain campaign was too focused on economic arguments when cultural concerns were also powerful. In his view, the apparent reluctance of the Remain campaign to discuss immigration was a mistake. “It looked like we had nothing to say about the thing that was important to most people,” he said.

Black newspapers have published worrying statistics and predictions about the potential impact on Black Communities. They quote research that suggest a significant impact on economic, employment and housing issues for some parts of the Black British community, who have already been severely affected by austerity since 2008.

Read the full article in Urban Kapital Magazine