British Future

Published today: ‘Race and fairness in fractious times: Public priorities for racial equity’, a major new study of ethnic minority and white majority attitudes and experience of racial inequality and prejudice www.britishfuture.org/publication/...

I was having conversations with journalists just a few months ago about whether democracy was doomed. Look at this year: Orban defeated. Vukic defeated. Bolsonaro Jr defeated. Trump heading to likely defeat in midterms. That’s the beauty of democracy. Voters can respond. Don’t count it out yet.

Still wondering how to get involved in Inter Faith Week this November? Why not join a Friendship Walk! A chance to meet new people, bring people from across your community together, build connections and celebrate friendships that connect us🧡 togetherwithrefugees.org.uk/stronger-tog...

As Andy Burnham reopens debate about Britain’s relationship with Europe, thread below on our September report examining public preferences, anxieties and uncertainty about UK-EU relations

Our 2026 findings on public attitudes to freedom of movement

Our @sundersays.bsky.social on PM Andy Burnham’s comments to Sunday Times that he wants an ‘honest conversation’ about free movement & future UK-EU relationship

I am going to write a piece about France and Britain - reflecting on the discussions in British politics and the media about what the relevance or lessons the disorder and rioting in France have - if any - for Britain. Your thoughts on what is interesting or useful about this topic?

What has the refugee convention ever done for us? We've heard a lot from those who want to abolish asylum. How should those of us who would want to protect refugee protection do to protect it? My Eastern Eye column this week, opening with @sabirzazai.bsky.social www.easterneye.biz/unhcr-uk-ref...

📚A new senior research role focused on race equity has opened up at @britishfuture.bsky.social. Are you the researcher for the job?? Apply here: bit.ly/4s6RC3A

Former immigration Mike Tapp adds to pressure on Home Sec Shabana Mahmood to rethink changes to settlement rules, reports @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Schools should recognise antisemitism as distinct form of harm, review says – BBC report www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Story in @thetimes.com today on Home Sec defending plans to make it harder for recent arrivals to settle in UK. Thread from our @sundersays.bsky.social on how few ppl could actually settle after 10 or 15 yrs, & how impacts go beyond care sector: could see vets, architects and chefs reqd to leave.

Rupert Lowe's Restore is forcing Nigel Farage into an ugly arms race over who can lurch farthest to the right, writes @oilsheppard.bsky.social for @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/5772...

Andy Burnham "should give a high priority in negotiations [with the EU] to show how cooperation, not isolationist fantasies, can deliver control in the Channel," writes our @sundersays.bsky.social for @easterneye.bsky.social www.easterneye.biz/unhcr-uk-ref...

The Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbullah is concerned the govt gets its settlement policy right. The Prime Minister & Home Secretary have both said the initial draft policy published Nov 2025 is now being revised as the govt responds to public consultation. Final decisions tbc

"Undecover Inside Reform UK", a 1 hour 40 minute ITV News documentary is available on YouTube having been broadcast tonight. It opens on Farage's July 2024 Clacton pledge of much more rigorous vetting to keep extremists and bigots out of the party. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp4h...

Reminder of this great position available at thinktank British Future. Deadline for applications 2 November.

My column this week on Sagal Abdi-Wale being elected as a hopeful locally rooted candidate, born 4000 miles away from St Pancras. Kemi Badenoch's punchy challenge to ethnonationalism saw Restore + Reform influencers debate how far to attack her Nigerian heritage. www.easterneye.biz/keir-starmer...

The UK govt has threatened to ban all Eritreans from entering the UK if the country's government does not accept more returns of small boat migrants and foreign national offenders, reports BBC www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Ofcom has received X's first quarterly report on the voluntary benchmarks on hate proposed by X www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet... Avaes Mohammad @britishfuture.bsky.social says Ofcom risk getting played by X whose voluntary pledges don't match its legal duties www.britishfuture.org/race-hate-on...

“Winning the argument will depend not on proving 2016 was a mistake, but convincing the country that 2026 demands something different.” @zoegrunewald.bsky.social on Burnham’s challenge in reopening the EU debate (citing recent British Future research) national.thelead.uk/p/andy-burnh...

"Reform is moving further right at pace. Farage began this week pledging to abolish asylum entirely. Lowe bid higher, arguing the priority must be to deport millions of legal migrants too." @sundersays.bsky.social @easterneye.bsky.social column this week. www.easterneye.biz/keir-starmer...

PM confirms 20 Nov UK-EU summit, where he will push for Brexit reset deals on youth mobility, trade, energy, + hints at greater hopes on UK-EU relationship www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli... Thread below details our recent research on what the public wants from UK's future ties with Europe.

WE'RE RECRUITING: Senior Researcher on race equity Salary £42k, London Applications close Mon 2 November More details: www.britishfuture.org/jobs/senior-...

More from @sundersays.bsky.social on the Reform ‘stop protecting refugees’ proposal and political responses

Farage announces that Reform would stop protecting refugees for an entire parliamentary term: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Our @sundersays.bsky.social below looks at the data on how this lack of compassion leaves most of the UK public cold

Iain Dale said he had never heard the word "ethnonationalism" until a couple of years ago on his show. "It's a posh word for racist, basically", I suggest. LBC have put that on X x.com/LBC/status/2...

WE'RE RECRUITING: Senior Researcher on race equity Salary £42k, London Applications close Mon 2 November More details: www.britishfuture.org/jobs/senior-...

"It's an unlikely twist for Thatcher's legacy to be back on the ballot paper. Wrong turn or right choice? It is an argument about history, pitching different visions of the future." @sundersays.bsky.social for @easterneye.bsky.social on Badenoch, Burnham & Thatcher www.easterneye.biz/thatcher-s-c...

Has British national identity truly shifted over the past decade? Our @sundersays.bsky.social is speaking at a 3 December event on National Identity in England with the Centre for Longitudinal Study Information & User Support (CeLSIUS) at UCL. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/evidence-o...

Free movement as part of a future UK-EU relationship has more support when linked to benefits to trade and opportunities for UK citizens My blog based on new @britishfuture.bsky.social research for @freemovement.bsky.social 👇👇👇

Diane Taylor on Crowborough divided; showing it reflects the mobilisation of those at both poles of the asylum debate, in response to the use of Crowborough Training Camp by Home Office, housing 300 asylum seekers in a town of 22,000 people www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Later this year - November? - Burnham will set out the range of options for the UK over the next decade, to seek a consensus. Our @britishfuture.bsky.social report shows a broad majority for a closer UK-EU relationship with more mixed views of how close to go & on at what pace.

'I am saying that Brexit has caused more harm than good. I think about 6 out of 10 of the public agree with that' says Andy Burnham on Today More a failure than a success 57% More a success thsn a failure 21% New @britishfuture.bsky.social study of what the public think now

bsky.app/profile/brit...

NEW: our friends at @migrationscotland.bsky.social publish their latest survey of public attitudes to immigration in Scotland - more details below

'Can Andy Burnham turn Labour’s ‘hope again’ into something more than a change of style?' @sundersays.bsky.social column for Eastern Eye www.easterneye.biz/andy-burnham...

Andy Burnham looks emotional, talking to the Labour party conference as Labour Prime Minister in Liverpool, and starts by saying why.