<p>The Boris Johnson government has asked the Metropolitan Police to not publish the hundreds of pictures related to the investigation into the reported Downing Street parties, as per a report by Times.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The parties were held during the strict post-Christmas coronavirus lockdown when such gatherings were strictly banned in the United Kingdom.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report added that some of the Downing Street aides were concerned the related photos could harm their reputations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ITV News reported citing a leaked document that the Cabinet Office "expects" that Scotland Yard will not publish over 300 related pictures and 500 pages of information once the probe concludes.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prince-andrews-sexual-assault-case-to-be-raised-in-uk-parliament-as-reports-say-queen-to-help-pay-settlement-454069">Prince Andrew's sexual assault case to be raised in UK parliament as reports say Queen to help pay settlement</a></strong></p>

<p>As per a report by The Mirror, in one of the images, Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be seen holding a can of beer while standing next to Chancellor Rishi Sunak.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Met has reportedly not responded to the request but the department might give Number 10's request approval.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The UK media reports have carried a statement: "Consistent with its indication that it will not publish the identities of anyone issued a FPN [fixed-penalty notice], we would not expect the Met to publish photographs. The liaison unit has asked the Met to confirm this."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/well-as-you-can-see-i-cant-move-is-queen-elizabeths-health-failing-453977">'Well, as you can see, I can't move': Is Queen Elizabeth's health failing?</a></strong></p>

<p>The reports have also specified that the request has been made only to know whether the photos will be made public and there is no attempt to influence the investigation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier, Johnson apologised after a probe into lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street found that such gatherings should never have taken place when there was a ban across the country. He had vowed to bring about changes not only to his team but to the way he engages with his party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Johnson faced renewed resignation calls when a senior civil servant Sue Gray highlighted the details of alcohol-fuelled events at the United Kingdom's PM's office and residence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While pointing out the "serious failures of leadership" in the British government, Gray said that "the excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did," she added.&nbsp;</p>

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The Boris Johnson government has asked the Metropolitan Police to not publish the hundreds of pictures related to the investigation into the reported Downing Street parties, as per a report by Times.

The Boris Johnson government has asked the Metropolitan Police to not publish the hundreds of pictures related to the investigation into the reported Downing Street parties, as per a report by Times. The parties were held during the strict post-Christmas coronavirus lockdown when such gatherings were strictly banned in the United Kingdom. The report added that some of the Downing Street aides were concerned the related photos could harm their reputations. ITV News reported citing a leaked document that the Cabinet Office "expects" that Scotland Yard will not publish over 300 related pictures and 500 pages of information once the probe concludes. ALSO READ | Prince Andrew's sexual assault case to be raised in UK parliament as reports say Queen to help pay settlement As per a report by The Mirror, in one of the images, Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be seen holding a can of beer while standing next to Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Meanwhile, the Met has reportedly not responded to the request but the department might give Number 10's request approval. The UK media reports have carried a statement: "Consistent with its indication that it will not publish the identities of anyone issued a FPN [fixed-penalty notice], we would not expect the Met to publish photographs. The liaison unit has asked the Met to confirm this." ALSO READ | 'Well, as you can see, I can't move': Is Queen Elizabeth's health failing? The reports have also specified that the request has been made only to know whether the photos will be made public and there is no attempt to influence the investigation. Earlier, Johnson apologised after a probe into lockdown-breaching parties at Downing Street found that such gatherings should never have taken place when there was a ban across the country. He had vowed to bring about changes not only to his team but to the way he engages with his party. Johnson faced renewed resignation calls when a senior civil servant Sue Gray highlighted the details of alcohol-fuelled events at the United Kingdom's PM's office and residence. While pointing out the "serious failures of leadership" in the British government, Gray said that "the excessive consumption of alcohol is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time". "Some of the events should not have been allowed to take place. Other events should not have been allowed to develop as they did," she added. ×

Did Boris Johnson government ask police to not publish over 300 'Partygate' pictures?

<p>Amid an alarming rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a barrage of criticism over a Downing Street garden party, which apparently took place last year, on May 15.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The photo was published in almost all media outlets in the UK on Sunday as the garden party row went viral and angered the public, becoming fodder for online backlash. The photo showed Johnson's staff laughing and joking about in the gathering when such festivities were banned in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the photo, Johnson can be seen sitting with his then-fiancee Carrie (now wife) and 17 other staff members with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard on a table in front of them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The picture included some of Johnson's top team such as former health secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-experts-disagree-with-boris-johnsons-plan-of-delaying-covid-regulations-438667">UK experts disagree with Boris Johnson's plan of delaying Covid regulations</a></strong></p>

<p>The photo didn't go well with the UK citizens, especially those who lost their loved ones during the pandemic, which is still causing havoc across the country with a record rise in the number of cases in the past week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On one side, the ministers, who had been vouching for Covid measures during that time, urging citizens to follow social distancing and avoid public gatherings, are now being bashed. On the other side of this fiasco, there is a fuss about the 'insider' who leaked the photo.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Who leaked the photo?</strong></p>

<p>The Daily Mail has reported that the photograph was believed to be taken from the first-floor veranda at the back of No 11 Downing Street. It is important to note that the offices of the Chancellor are there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The office was apparently used by&nbsp;British Chancellor of the Exchequer&nbsp;Rishi Sunak's people, and anybody else going in would have been noticed, The Mail noted, citing a source.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If no one from outside came in, then it appears that someone who works at No. 10 might have clicked it or got access to it. Someone can be anyone, including the staff members.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/people-at-work-talking-about-work-boris-johnson-reacts-to-downing-street-garden-party-photo-438627">'People at work, talking about work': Boris Johnson reacts to Downing Street garden party photo</a></strong></p>

<p>Over rumours and speculations about who leaked the photo and which staff members were present on that day, Johnson's press secretary told the Guardian: "I'm not going to get into confirming individual staff members, as you'd expect."&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, whosoever made the photograph public wanted to "damage the Government".</p>

<p><strong>Is there a conspiracy?</strong></p>

<p>The timing of this party-photo-being-public is quite questionable as the Johnson administration has been facing criticism over a range of issues, including the Covid situation in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are talks about imposing fresh restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. Also, the Conservatives lost a long-held parliamentary seat in a by-election last week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Is there a conspiracy to make the most of the situation in an attempt to jeopardise Johnson's political career?&nbsp;</p>

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<p><strong>Who said what to defend the government?</strong></p>

<p>Johnson's spokesman on Friday, after sources told the Guardian and Independent about the event: "In the summer months Downing Street staff regularly use the garden for some meetings. On 15 May 2020 the prime minister held a series of meetings throughout the afternoon, including briefly with the then health and care secretary and his team in the garden following a press conference. The prime minister went to his residence shortly after 7pm. A small number of staff required to be in work remained in the Downing Street garden for part of the afternoon and evening."</p>

<p>After seeing the photo, he said, "As we said last week, work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months. On this occasion, there were staff meetings after a No 10 press conference. Downing Street is the prime minister's home as well as his workplace. The prime minister's wife lives in No 10 and therefore also legitimately uses the garden."</p>

<p>Raab on Monday said, "I think there’s a lot of exhausted people, and they, as people do in work, were having a drink after the formal business had been done."</p>

<p>Johnson’s spokesman on Monday said, "This shows colleagues who were required to be in work, meeting following a press conference to discuss work … It was not against the regulations for those individuals to have a drink outside working hours, but still discussing work."</p>

<p>Johnson on Monday said, "This is where I live, it is where I work. Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work."</p>

<p><strong>Here's how the public reacted</strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On the left is leisurely garden party (I refuse to class this as working) with wine, attended by Boris &amp; Carrie Johnson &amp; breaking all 2020 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid</a> Lockdown rules.<br />
<br />
On the right is an NHS nurse after her 2020 shift coping with Covid patients, trying desperately to save lives. <a href="https://t.co/9gT7Xe5wfZ">pic.twitter.com/9gT7Xe5wfZ</a></p>
— Angela 🇪🇺💙 Rebel With Many Causes #ToriesOut (@spaceangel1964) <a href="https://twitter.com/spaceangel1964/status/1472853079993245696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hey, <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a>, here's the Prime Minister, his wife, and 17 other people at a garden party in Downing Street, held on 15th May 2020 - during lockdown.<br />
<br />
Hope this counts as evidence. You're welcome 👍 <a href="https://t.co/UamJp05u9Y">pic.twitter.com/UamJp05u9Y</a></p>
— BelieveTheTruth 🇪🇺 (@Sam_BTT) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sam_BTT/status/1472650794684096518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On Friday 15th May 2020 at 1 pm we held a minute’s silence on our ward (and throughout our hospital) in memory of those who died from Covid - little did we know that the PM &amp; friends were enjoying a garden party that same afternoon. <a href="https://t.co/ESx6AqZ3um">pic.twitter.com/ESx6AqZ3um</a></p>
— 𝗗𝗿 𝗔𝗷𝗮𝘆 𝗠 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮 (@UKGastroDr) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKGastroDr/status/1472841398483402755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My Nan was home alone for months<br />
<br />
The loneliness and isolation meant my Grandads dementia accelerated to the point that he was unrecognisable<br />
<br />
The stories of despair I heard from people due to not seeing their family were heartbreaking<br />
<br />
While they, relaxed and had a garden party! <a href="https://t.co/JlAl4X8kYS">https://t.co/JlAl4X8kYS</a></p>
— Ben Taylor (@MarketingproBen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarketingproBen/status/1472674971763761158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dominic Raab has come out in support of Boris Johnson bringing his baby to the lockdown garden party: “It’s an emergency services emotional support baby” said the Deputy Prime Minister. “Yes, that’s allowed!” <a href="https://t.co/tHn8ITSST8">pic.twitter.com/tHn8ITSST8</a></p>
— Zack Ferguson (@zackferguson) <a href="https://twitter.com/zackferguson/status/1473379110361698305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let’s remember that at end April 2020 I was reprimanded by someone from THE POLICE because I stopped in a park, alone and not near other people, to LOOK at a swan, while on a walk to clear my head before work on ICU next day<br />
<br />
Hope you enjoyed the garden party <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BorisJohnson</a> <a href="https://t.co/k0lwyDEON0">https://t.co/k0lwyDEON0</a></p>
— Aoife Abbey (@WhistlingDixie4) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhistlingDixie4/status/1472931836577947657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Amid an alarming rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a barrage of criticism over a Downing Street garden party, which apparently took place last year, on May 15.

Amid an alarming rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a barrage of criticism over a Downing Street garden party, which apparently took place last year, on May 15. The photo was published in almost all media outlets in the UK on Sunday as the garden party row went viral and angered the public, becoming fodder for online backlash. The photo showed Johnson's staff laughing and joking about in the gathering when such festivities were banned in the country. In the photo, Johnson can be seen sitting with his then-fiancee Carrie (now wife) and 17 other staff members with bottles of wine and a cheeseboard on a table in front of them. The picture included some of Johnson's top team such as former health secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings, principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, etc. ALSO READ | UK experts disagree with Boris Johnson's plan of delaying Covid regulations The photo didn't go well with the UK citizens, especially those who lost their loved ones during the pandemic, which is still causing havoc across the country with a record rise in the number of cases in the past week. On one side, the ministers, who had been vouching for Covid measures during that time, urging citizens to follow social distancing and avoid public gatherings, are now being bashed. On the other side of this fiasco, there is a fuss about the 'insider' who leaked the photo. Who leaked the photo? The Daily Mail has reported that the photograph was believed to be taken from the first-floor veranda at the back of No 11 Downing Street. It is important to note that the offices of the Chancellor are there. The office was apparently used by British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak's people, and anybody else going in would have been noticed, The Mail noted, citing a source. If no one from outside came in, then it appears that someone who works at No. 10 might have clicked it or got access to it. Someone can be anyone, including the staff members. ALSO READ | 'People at work, talking about work': Boris Johnson reacts to Downing Street garden party photo Over rumours and speculations about who leaked the photo and which staff members were present on that day, Johnson's press secretary told the Guardian: "I'm not going to get into confirming individual staff members, as you'd expect." As per Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, whosoever made the photograph public wanted to "damage the Government". Is there a conspiracy? The timing of this party-photo-being-public is quite questionable as the Johnson administration has been facing criticism over a range of issues, including the Covid situation in the country. There are talks about imposing fresh restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. Also, the Conservatives lost a long-held parliamentary seat in a by-election last week. Is there a conspiracy to make the most of the situation in an attempt to jeopardise Johnson's political career? × Who said what to defend the government? Johnson's spokesman on Friday, after sources told the Guardian and Independent about the event: "In the summer months Downing Street staff regularly use the garden for some meetings. On 15 May 2020 the prime minister held a series of meetings throughout the afternoon, including briefly with the then health and care secretary and his team in the garden following a press conference. The prime minister went to his residence shortly after 7pm. A small number of staff required to be in work remained in the Downing Street garden for part of the afternoon and evening." After seeing the photo, he said, "As we said last week, work meetings often take place in the Downing Street garden in the summer months. On this occasion, there were staff meetings after a No 10 press conference. Downing Street is the prime minister's home as well as his workplace. The prime minister's wife lives in No 10 and therefore also legitimately uses the garden." Raab on Monday said, "I think there’s a lot of exhausted people, and they, as people do in work, were having a drink after the formal business had been done." Johnson’s spokesman on Monday said, "This shows colleagues who were required to be in work, meeting following a press conference to discuss work … It was not against the regulations for those individuals to have a drink outside working hours, but still discussing work." Johnson on Monday said, "This is where I live, it is where I work. Those were meetings of people at work, talking about work." Here's how the public reacted On the left is leisurely garden party (I refuse to class this as working) with wine, attended by Boris & Carrie Johnson & breaking all 2020 #Covid Lockdown rules. On the right is an NHS nurse after her 2020 shift coping with Covid patients, trying desperately to save lives. pic.twitter.com/9gT7Xe5wfZ — Angela 🇪🇺💙 Rebel With Many Causes #ToriesOut (@spaceangel1964) December 20, 2021 × Hey, @metpoliceuk, here's the Prime Minister, his wife, and 17 other people at a garden party in Downing Street, held on 15th May 2020 - during lockdown. Hope this counts as evidence. You're welcome 👍 pic.twitter.com/UamJp05u9Y — BelieveTheTruth 🇪🇺 (@Sam_BTT) December 19, 2021 × On Friday 15th May 2020 at 1 pm we held a minute’s silence on our ward (and throughout our hospital) in memory of those who died from Covid - little did we know that the PM & friends were enjoying a garden party that same afternoon. pic.twitter.com/ESx6AqZ3um — 𝗗𝗿 𝗔𝗷𝗮𝘆 𝗠 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮 (@UKGastroDr) December 20, 2021 × My Nan was home alone for months The loneliness and isolation meant my Grandads dementia accelerated to the point that he was unrecognisable The stories of despair I heard from people due to not seeing their family were heartbreaking While they, relaxed and had a garden party! https://t.co/JlAl4X8kYS — Ben Taylor (@MarketingproBen) December 19, 2021 × Dominic Raab has come out in support of Boris Johnson bringing his baby to the lockdown garden party: “It’s an emergency services emotional support baby” said the Deputy Prime Minister. “Yes, that’s allowed!” pic.twitter.com/tHn8ITSST8 — Zack Ferguson (@zackferguson) December 21, 2021 × Let’s remember that at end April 2020 I was reprimanded by someone from THE POLICE because I stopped in a park, alone and not near other people, to LOOK at a swan, while on a walk to clear my head before work on ICU next day Hope you enjoyed the garden party @BorisJohnson https://t.co/k0lwyDEON0 — Aoife Abbey (@WhistlingDixie4) December 20, 2021 ×

Boris garden party: Who leaked the photo? Amid Omicron crisis, UK govt to hunt the 'insider'

Several British politicians are demanding a change in parliamentary rules after a lawmaker was told she couldn't bring her 3-month-old baby to parliament.

United Kingdom: British lawmakers reject ban on babies in parliament

<p>Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is considered one of the best and sought after managers in the history of the English Premier League, some even say best in the world. He is known for his team management skills, but his comments on managing a country are also valuable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Klopp said the system should be such where people should be elected in top positions to sort the problems. The voting should not be based on "most funny" or the "weirdest haircut". There should right people in the system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Klopp has said that the elections of Donald Trump, the former US president,&nbsp;and Boris Johnson, the current UK prime minister, were a "bad sign" for the whole world.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kylian-mbappe-scores-4-goals-as-france-thump-kazakhstan-8-0-to-qualify-for-fifa-world-cup-2022-429209">Kylian Mbappe scores 4 goals as France thump Kazakhstan 8-0 to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2022</a></strong></p>

<p>During a podcast with British presenter Gabby Logan's Mid Point, Klopp weighed in on the value of leadership with a rant on the current political system. He also talked about the problems in Western society.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The German called out Trump, Johnson and Farage as he criticised the culture in many elections, he said, "Obviously people with common sense are not needed – or used, at least – in this time."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"They should be, but what is the problem, the people we vote for or the whole system which gives us the opportunity to vote for these kinds of people? I really have to say that the last two elections, the first with Donald Trump and then with Boris Johnson, that's really a bad sign for the whole world, that something like this can happen."</p>

<p>"Because everybody knew beforehand that it would not work, but we still let it happen as a society. I cannot believe that. But one is now gone, the other one struggles still. It's incredible. We have to find a system where we can bring people in the position to sort all our problems, or help us with sorting the problems, who are the best possible people."</p>

<p>"And not the most funny or the weirdest haircut or whatever, you have to have the right people in that. [We should] not [be] voting for them and accepting for this specific amount of time that they are there now, and you look at it and go ‘oh my god, that’s not funny anymore'."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/may-modi-merkel-macron-past-and-present-world-leaders-with-impeccable-fashion-sense-424294">May, Modi, Merkel, Macron: Past and present world leaders with impeccable fashion sense</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Loved chatting to Jurgen Klopp on the Midpoint <a href="https://twitter.com/LFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LFC</a> 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/aBI2piayTW">pic.twitter.com/aBI2piayTW</a></p>
— Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) <a href="https://twitter.com/GabbyLogan/status/1458572083873652736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>On being asked about the slightest chance of Klopp's future as a politician, he said, "You need the right people – and for sure not someone like me who you like from television and has a slightly over-average intelligence."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"But there are people out there, definitely, you just have to give them a platform so they can show up without leading us in that direction or that direction," the manager added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added, "Why do we let people like Farage and Johnson lead any kind of group of people in any direction? And the day after [a problem] happens, they disappear – and one of them comes back! How can we forget? It’s like 'where has he been?', that’s absolutely insane. Then we sit here and think 'it's not that bad'…"&nbsp;</p>


Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is considered one of the best and sought after managers in the history of the English Premier League, some even say best in the world.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is considered one of the best and sought after managers in the history of the English Premier League, some even say best in the world. He is known for his team management skills, but his comments on managing a country are also valuable. Klopp said the system should be such where people should be elected in top positions to sort the problems. The voting should not be based on "most funny" or the "weirdest haircut". There should right people in the system. Klopp has said that the elections of Donald Trump, the former US president, and Boris Johnson, the current UK prime minister, were a "bad sign" for the whole world. ALSO READ | Kylian Mbappe scores 4 goals as France thump Kazakhstan 8-0 to qualify for FIFA World Cup 2022 During a podcast with British presenter Gabby Logan's Mid Point, Klopp weighed in on the value of leadership with a rant on the current political system. He also talked about the problems in Western society. The German called out Trump, Johnson and Farage as he criticised the culture in many elections, he said, "Obviously people with common sense are not needed – or used, at least – in this time." "They should be, but what is the problem, the people we vote for or the whole system which gives us the opportunity to vote for these kinds of people? I really have to say that the last two elections, the first with Donald Trump and then with Boris Johnson, that's really a bad sign for the whole world, that something like this can happen." "Because everybody knew beforehand that it would not work, but we still let it happen as a society. I cannot believe that. But one is now gone, the other one struggles still. It's incredible. We have to find a system where we can bring people in the position to sort all our problems, or help us with sorting the problems, who are the best possible people." "And not the most funny or the weirdest haircut or whatever, you have to have the right people in that. [We should] not [be] voting for them and accepting for this specific amount of time that they are there now, and you look at it and go ‘oh my god, that’s not funny anymore'." IN PICS | May, Modi, Merkel, Macron: Past and present world leaders with impeccable fashion sense Loved chatting to Jurgen Klopp on the Midpoint @LFC 🙌 pic.twitter.com/aBI2piayTW — Gabby Logan (@GabbyLogan) November 10, 2021 × On being asked about the slightest chance of Klopp's future as a politician, he said, "You need the right people – and for sure not someone like me who you like from television and has a slightly over-average intelligence." "But there are people out there, definitely, you just have to give them a platform so they can show up without leading us in that direction or that direction," the manager added. He added, "Why do we let people like Farage and Johnson lead any kind of group of people in any direction? And the day after [a problem] happens, they disappear – and one of them comes back! How can we forget? It’s like 'where has he been?', that’s absolutely insane. Then we sit here and think 'it's not that bad'…"

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says elections of Donald Trump and Boris Johnson 'bad sign for whole world'

<p>Britons are lining up for gas, staring at empty grocery shelves, paying higher taxes and worrying about spiraling prices as a grim winter approaches.</p>

<p>But to visit the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this past week was to enter a kind of happy valley, where Cabinet ministers danced, sang karaoke and drained flutes of Champagne — Pol Roger, Winston Churchill’s favorite brand, naturally.</p>

<p>Nobody captured the bonhomie better than Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who told a whooping crowd of party faithful, “You all represent the most jiving, hip, happening and generally funkapolitan party in the world.”</p>

<p>The cognitive dissonance extended beyond the Mardi Gras atmosphere. In his upbeat keynote speech, Johnson characterized the multiple ills afflicting Britain as a “function of growth and economic revival” — challenging but necessary post-Brexit adjustments on the way to a more prosperous future.</p>

<p>It was at least his third explanation for the food and fuel shortages, which continued in some areas after three weeks. Initially, he denied there was a crisis. Then, he said the shortages were not about Brexit — contradicting analysts, union leaders, food producers and business owners — but were hitting every Western country as they emerged from the pandemic. And finally, he cited the stresses as evidence that Brexit was doing its job in shaking up the economy.</p>

<p>“It is the ultimate in post-hoc rationalization — the idea that this is a well-thought-out plan, that we intended to do this all along,” said Jill Rutter, a senior research fellow at U.K. in a Changing Europe, a London think tank.</p>

<p>Few politicians have either the indomitable cheer or the ideological flexibility of Johnson, so it was hardly surprising that he tried to put the best face on Britain’s run of bad news. He remains utterly in command of the Conservative Party, which has an 80-seat majority in the Parliament, and comfortably ahead of the opposition Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, in opinion polls.</p>

<p>Yet political analysts and economists said there were risks in the Panglossian tone he struck in Manchester. With inflation projected to continue at a relatively high level, and the government admitting that shortages could continue until Christmas, voters could quickly sour on Johnson. Then next year come tax rises, after he broke his promise not to increase them last month.</p>

<p>In hindsight, some said, the conference might be seen as a high-water mark for the prime minister.</p>

<p>“A few days of disruption to fuel supplies makes the government look foolish,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London. “Much larger fuel bills are a much bigger deal.”</p>

<p>Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London, said Johnson could come to resemble James Callaghan, a Labour prime minister who was toppled in 1979 after a winter of fuel shortages and runaway inflation, when he did not appear sufficiently alarmed about the pileup of problems.</p>

<p>When Johnson bounded into the auditorium at the conference last week, stopping to kiss his wife, Carrie, he looked anything but alarmed. Between jokes and jibes at the opposition, he presented a blueprint for a post-Brexit economy that he said would deliver high wages for skilled British workers, rather than lower-cost immigrants from the European Union, and put the onus on businesses to foot the bill.</p>

<p>Companies and previous governments “reached for the same old lever of uncontrolled immigration to keep wages low,” Johnson said. “The answer is to control immigration, to allow people of talent to come to this country, but not to use immigration as an excuse for failure to invest in people, in skills and in the equipment, the facilities, the machinery they need to do their jobs.”</p>

<p>That model is worlds away from Singapore-on-Thames, the catchphrase once used by the intellectual authors of Brexit to describe an open, lightly regulated, business-friendly hub that they said Britain would become once it cast off the labor laws and other shackles of Brussels. Nobody is talking about removing labor laws now (indeed, Johnson may soon move to raise Britain’s minimum wage).</p>

<p>Contradictions between protectionists and free-marketeers have run through the Brexit movement from the start.</p>

<p>“I describe it as Little England versus Global Britain,” Portes said, noting that Johnson, because of his lack of fixed convictions, was well-suited to hold this coalition together.</p>

<p>Since Johnson’s landslide election victory in 2019, however, the gravity in the Conservative Party has shifted decisively toward protectionism and anti-immigration policies. That was the message that helped the Tories lure disenchanted, working-class, former Labour voters in the industrial Midlands and north of England.</p>

<p>Many of these voters want the jobs that would come with the revival of British heavy industry, not better opportunities for hedge fund managers in London. Conservative politicians who once championed the Singapore-on-Thames model now play it down.</p>

<p>Johnson has embraced a blame-it-on-business message, which, while at odds with his party’s traditional principles, is popular with his new base. He singled out the trucking industry, arguing that its failure to invest in better truck stops — “with basic facilities where you don’t have to urinate in the bushes,” he said — was one of the reasons young people did not aspire to becoming drivers.</p>

<p>“It’s all of a piece with his move toward a much more populist style,” Bale said. “Johnson is pressing the right buttons, as far as these people are concerned.”</p>

<p>His tough-on-business language has scrambled the traditional lines in British politics. On Friday, voters were treated to the curious spectacle of Starmer lashing out at Johnson for his attacks on business and presenting the Labour Party as the better partner for Britain’s corporations.</p>

<p>For Johnson, critics said, the biggest risk is a lack of credibility. His initial claim that the food and fuel shortages were not caused by Brexit sounded unconvincing, given that his own government predicted rising prices and shortages of both in a 2019 report on the potential disruptions in the event of a “no-deal Brexit,” in which Britain would leave the European Union without a trade agreement.</p>

<p>The report, known as Operation Yellowhammer, laid out “reasonable worst-case planning assumptions,” among them that “certain types of fresh food supply will decrease” and that “customer behavior could lead to local shortages” of fuel. Although Britain negotiated a bare-bones trade deal with Brussels, its effect was similar to that of no deal.</p>

<p>While it is true that Johnson is indisputably setting his party’s agenda, it is not clear that the internal debates over the shape of a post-Brexit future are entirely settled. Rishi Sunak, the popular chancellor of the Exchequer, spoke at the conference about his years in California, and how he viewed Silicon Valley as a model for Britain.</p>

<p>“I’m not sure that having a truck driver shortage is part of that vision,” said Rutter, the research fellow.</p>


Britons are lining up for gas, staring at empty grocery shelves, paying higher taxes and worrying about spiraling prices as a grim winter approaches. But to visit the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this past week was to enter a kind of happy valley, where Cabinet ministers danced, sang karaoke and drained flutes of Champagne — Pol Roger, Winston Churchill’s favorite brand, naturally.

Britons are lining up for gas, staring at empty grocery shelves, paying higher taxes and worrying about spiraling prices as a grim winter approaches. But to visit the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this past week was to enter a kind of happy valley, where Cabinet ministers danced, sang karaoke and drained flutes of Champagne — Pol Roger, Winston Churchill’s favorite brand, naturally. Nobody captured the bonhomie better than Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who told a whooping crowd of party faithful, “You all represent the most jiving, hip, happening and generally funkapolitan party in the world.” The cognitive dissonance extended beyond the Mardi Gras atmosphere. In his upbeat keynote speech, Johnson characterized the multiple ills afflicting Britain as a “function of growth and economic revival” — challenging but necessary post-Brexit adjustments on the way to a more prosperous future. It was at least his third explanation for the food and fuel shortages, which continued in some areas after three weeks. Initially, he denied there was a crisis. Then, he said the shortages were not about Brexit — contradicting analysts, union leaders, food producers and business owners — but were hitting every Western country as they emerged from the pandemic. And finally, he cited the stresses as evidence that Brexit was doing its job in shaking up the economy. “It is the ultimate in post-hoc rationalization — the idea that this is a well-thought-out plan, that we intended to do this all along,” said Jill Rutter, a senior research fellow at U.K. in a Changing Europe, a London think tank. Few politicians have either the indomitable cheer or the ideological flexibility of Johnson, so it was hardly surprising that he tried to put the best face on Britain’s run of bad news. He remains utterly in command of the Conservative Party, which has an 80-seat majority in the Parliament, and comfortably ahead of the opposition Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, in opinion polls. Yet political analysts and economists said there were risks in the Panglossian tone he struck in Manchester. With inflation projected to continue at a relatively high level, and the government admitting that shortages could continue until Christmas, voters could quickly sour on Johnson. Then next year come tax rises, after he broke his promise not to increase them last month. In hindsight, some said, the conference might be seen as a high-water mark for the prime minister. “A few days of disruption to fuel supplies makes the government look foolish,” said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London. “Much larger fuel bills are a much bigger deal.” Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London, said Johnson could come to resemble James Callaghan, a Labour prime minister who was toppled in 1979 after a winter of fuel shortages and runaway inflation, when he did not appear sufficiently alarmed about the pileup of problems. When Johnson bounded into the auditorium at the conference last week, stopping to kiss his wife, Carrie, he looked anything but alarmed. Between jokes and jibes at the opposition, he presented a blueprint for a post-Brexit economy that he said would deliver high wages for skilled British workers, rather than lower-cost immigrants from the European Union, and put the onus on businesses to foot the bill. Companies and previous governments “reached for the same old lever of uncontrolled immigration to keep wages low,” Johnson said. “The answer is to control immigration, to allow people of talent to come to this country, but not to use immigration as an excuse for failure to invest in people, in skills and in the equipment, the facilities, the machinery they need to do their jobs.” That model is worlds away from Singapore-on-Thames, the catchphrase once used by the intellectual authors of Brexit to describe an open, lightly regulated, business-friendly hub that they said Britain would become once it cast off the labor laws and other shackles of Brussels. Nobody is talking about removing labor laws now (indeed, Johnson may soon move to raise Britain’s minimum wage). Contradictions between protectionists and free-marketeers have run through the Brexit movement from the start. “I describe it as Little England versus Global Britain,” Portes said, noting that Johnson, because of his lack of fixed convictions, was well-suited to hold this coalition together. Since Johnson’s landslide election victory in 2019, however, the gravity in the Conservative Party has shifted decisively toward protectionism and anti-immigration policies. That was the message that helped the Tories lure disenchanted, working-class, former Labour voters in the industrial Midlands and north of England. Many of these voters want the jobs that would come with the revival of British heavy industry, not better opportunities for hedge fund managers in London. Conservative politicians who once championed the Singapore-on-Thames model now play it down. Johnson has embraced a blame-it-on-business message, which, while at odds with his party’s traditional principles, is popular with his new base. He singled out the trucking industry, arguing that its failure to invest in better truck stops — “with basic facilities where you don’t have to urinate in the bushes,” he said — was one of the reasons young people did not aspire to becoming drivers. “It’s all of a piece with his move toward a much more populist style,” Bale said. “Johnson is pressing the right buttons, as far as these people are concerned.” His tough-on-business language has scrambled the traditional lines in British politics. On Friday, voters were treated to the curious spectacle of Starmer lashing out at Johnson for his attacks on business and presenting the Labour Party as the better partner for Britain’s corporations. For Johnson, critics said, the biggest risk is a lack of credibility. His initial claim that the food and fuel shortages were not caused by Brexit sounded unconvincing, given that his own government predicted rising prices and shortages of both in a 2019 report on the potential disruptions in the event of a “no-deal Brexit,” in which Britain would leave the European Union without a trade agreement. The report, known as Operation Yellowhammer, laid out “reasonable worst-case planning assumptions,” among them that “certain types of fresh food supply will decrease” and that “customer behavior could lead to local shortages” of fuel. Although Britain negotiated a bare-bones trade deal with Brussels, its effect was similar to that of no deal. While it is true that Johnson is indisputably setting his party’s agenda, it is not clear that the internal debates over the shape of a post-Brexit future are entirely settled. Rishi Sunak, the popular chancellor of the Exchequer, spoke at the conference about his years in California, and how he viewed Silicon Valley as a model for Britain. “I’m not sure that having a truck driver shortage is part of that vision,” said Rutter, the research fellow.

As Johnson draws a happy face, Britons confront a run of bad news

<p>A British Labour MP Stella Creasy, who represents Walthamstow, brought her baby into the House of Commons chamber to highlight a "lack of support" for new mothers as she spoke in a debate, demanding rights and protections for women with children.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The newborn baby boy was strapped to the MP's chest as a symbol to support the new mothers' return to work. The 44-year-old Creasy urged Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg to take action.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier this year, Creasy, who has been an active campaigner for better maternity practices for MPs, gave birth to her second child.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/designer-coder-and-cool-dude-teenagers-behind-australias-covid-19-data-tracking-website-415674">Designer, coder and cool dude: Teenagers behind Australia's COVID-19 data tracking website</a></strong></p>

<p>She said: "We know that the Leader of the House is keen to see MPs return to the chambers of Parliament, and indeed the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority refused to fund appropriate maternity cover for myself on the basis that people needed to be able to speak in the chamber."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Schools in Walthamstow spent their own money on external counsellors to help children cope with the pandemic - pressed ministers today to reimburse them so not in debt for supporting good mental health. <a href="https://t.co/i9zsh24WlK">pic.twitter.com/i9zsh24WlK</a></p>
— stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/stellacreasy/status/1440987674278612992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Yet today, in order to speak I have had to abandon my baby proxy leave vote or else be reprimanded by the House authorities for speaking in the chamber, making Parliament one of the few workplaces in this country where, when a new mother comes in for a “keep in touch day”, she is rebuked, not supported," &nbsp;Creasy added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I know some in this place are not fans of mothers in the mother of all parliaments, but I’m sure the leader is not among them, so will he meet with a cross-party delegation of MPs to look at how we can make sure everybody in this Parliament upholds the law on maternity cover and leave?" she further said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch the video here:</strong></p>

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/united-kingdom-baby-joins-mp-amid-calls-for-support-for-new-mother-415457/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/side-eyeing-chloe-to-cash-in-on-her-popularity-by-selling-her-meme-as-nft-415623">'Side-eyeing Chloe’ to cash in on her popularity by selling her meme as NFT</a></strong></p>

<p>Rees-Mogg congratulated Creasy for the "impeccable behaviour of her infant" and said it was a "pleasure" to see her in the chamber.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He noted that the rules provide for maternity and paternity leave and for proxy voting for people who want to take that and he said that the rules as they are currently constructed are "perfectly reasonable and entirely in line with the law".&nbsp;</p>


A British Labour MP Stella Creasy, who represents Walthamstow, brought her baby into the House of Commons chamber to highlight a "lack of support" for new mothers as she spoke in a debate, demanding rights and protections for women with children.

A British Labour MP Stella Creasy, who represents Walthamstow, brought her baby into the House of Commons chamber to highlight a "lack of support" for new mothers as she spoke in a debate, demanding rights and protections for women with children. The newborn baby boy was strapped to the MP's chest as a symbol to support the new mothers' return to work. The 44-year-old Creasy urged Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg to take action. Earlier this year, Creasy, who has been an active campaigner for better maternity practices for MPs, gave birth to her second child. ALSO READ | Designer, coder and cool dude: Teenagers behind Australia's COVID-19 data tracking website She said: "We know that the Leader of the House is keen to see MPs return to the chambers of Parliament, and indeed the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority refused to fund appropriate maternity cover for myself on the basis that people needed to be able to speak in the chamber." Schools in Walthamstow spent their own money on external counsellors to help children cope with the pandemic - pressed ministers today to reimburse them so not in debt for supporting good mental health. pic.twitter.com/i9zsh24WlK — stellacreasy (@stellacreasy) September 23, 2021 × "Yet today, in order to speak I have had to abandon my baby proxy leave vote or else be reprimanded by the House authorities for speaking in the chamber, making Parliament one of the few workplaces in this country where, when a new mother comes in for a “keep in touch day”, she is rebuked, not supported," Creasy added. "I know some in this place are not fans of mothers in the mother of all parliaments, but I’m sure the leader is not among them, so will he meet with a cross-party delegation of MPs to look at how we can make sure everybody in this Parliament upholds the law on maternity cover and leave?" she further said. Watch the video here: × ALSO READ | 'Side-eyeing Chloe’ to cash in on her popularity by selling her meme as NFT Rees-Mogg congratulated Creasy for the "impeccable behaviour of her infant" and said it was a "pleasure" to see her in the chamber. He noted that the rules provide for maternity and paternity leave and for proxy voting for people who want to take that and he said that the rules as they are currently constructed are "perfectly reasonable and entirely in line with the law".

Watch: British MP brings newborn son into House of Commons, demands better maternity rules

<p>By: <strong>Rakib Ehsan*</strong></p>

<p>A recent survey looking into attitudes towards immigrants of different origins has thrown up some interesting figures.</p>

<p>YouGov asked 1,668 UK adults whether immigrants from various parts of the world had made a positive or negative contribution to British life.</p>

<p>While immigrants from India received a healthy positive figure of +25, their South Asian counterparts are in negative territory. Bangladeshis have a net figure of -3. Pakistanis fare even worse at -4. Net figures are calculated by taking away the figure for "negative contribution" from the figure for "positive contribution".</p>

<p>There are a range of factors that might account for these differences - some historical, some economic and some social and religious.</p>

<p><strong>Migratory story</strong></p>

<p>The initial flow of steady Indian migration started in the 1950s. As well as a notable number of politically disaffected Punjabi Sikhs, this flow included a stream of highly educated Gujarati migrants. Many ended up working as medical professionals in the NHS.</p>

<p>In the 1970s, a number of migrants of Indian origin sought refuge in the UK following their expulsion from Uganda. The stream of Indian migration from East Africa also included people fleeing state discrimination in Kenya.</p>

<p>The vast proportion of these migrants were well-educated and entrepreneurial. Indeed, following their expulsion, the backbone of the Ugandan economy crumbled under Idi Amin’s dictatorship. Ugandan Indians are collectively a British success story.</p>

<p>Many of the initial Pakistani and Bangladeshi migrants, on the other hand, originated from deprived regions such as Azad Kashmir, where the rate of Pakistani migration increased following the construction of the Mangla Dam in the 1960s, a project that left more than 250 villages submerged. Many others are from Sylhet and migrated following the damage caused by the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.</p>

<p>Settlers from Pakistan and Bangladesh often filled manual jobs, particularly those in steel mills and the textiles industry. Due to poor English skills, many were unable to progress in terms of employment or to interact with the wider population. This continues to be a problem within Britain’s Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, particularly among women.</p>

<p><strong>Socio-economic status</strong></p>

<p>Then there are differences in economic performance. According to 2010 data, Indians in the UK are far more likely to work in higher-skilled professional jobs than Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. A recent population survey found that 59% of UK women in a combined Bangladeshi-Pakistani category were economically inactive. The corresponding figure for Indian-origin women was only 32%.</p>

<p>British Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities have historically ranked highly when measuring average fertility rates by ethnicity in the UK. The fertility rate for British Indians is noticeably lower in comparison.</p>

<p>What this data collectively suggest is that due to superior occupational status, a higher proportion of two-income households and substantially lower fertility rates, British Indian households are far less likely to be dependent on welfare. Therefore perceptions regarding welfare dependency may have fed into the YouGov figures.</p>

<p><strong>Social integration</strong></p>

<p>The YouGov figures could also be influenced by differences in social contact. There is the possibility that a high number of the respondents simply don’t have much experience of communicating with people of Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin.</p>

<p>The 2010 data shows that Bangladeshis and Pakistanis living in the UK have far higher levels of residential and social segregation than Indians. They are more likely to be part of social and economic networks which are predominantly made out of people from their own ethnic group. This is partly down to being occupationally segregated in the transport and hospitality sectors.</p>

<p>British Indians have higher levels of “social mixing” through friends, neighbours and work colleagues. This creates greater opportunities for positive contact across ethnic groups. “Outgroupers” may be less likely to experience positive contact with British Bangladeshis and Pakistanis due to the comparatively higher levels of social, economic and residential segregation within these groups.</p>

<p><strong>Religious effect</strong></p>

<p>The religious composition of the ethnic groups cannot be ignored either. A substantial proportion of UK Indians are either Hindu or Sikh. Britain’s Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are nearly all Sunni Muslim. And the 2010 data shows that UK Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are more likely to identify more with their faith (when traded-off against British identification).</p>

<p>Perceptions of homegrown terrorism and Islamic radicalisation could also have played a part in the negative net figures for the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups. The ethnic background of perpetrators involved in domestic terrorist activities and UK citizens who have joined Daesh “as jihadis” or “jihadi brides” may be implicated in negative group perceptions, even if these people make up a tiny proportion of the population. Major cases of child sexual exploitation in places such as Rochdale and Rotherham are unlikely to have helped.</p>

<p><strong>Looking to the future</strong></p>

<p>The YouGov figures suggest that economic performance, social relations and religio-cultural values can all influence perceptions on immigration.</p>

<p>The negative actions of a minority can certainly lead to unfair generalisations. But considering the group trends in socioeconomic status and sociocultural integration, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Bangladeshi and Pakistani immigrants are viewed more negatively than those of Indian origin. The question remains what to do about it.</p>

<p>The state does have a role to play in improving social and economic outcomes. But frank discussions need to be held within certain groups over socioeconomic progress and sociocultural modernisation. And their place in Britain’s liberal democracy.</p>

<p><strong>*Rakib Ehsan is Doctoral Researcher in Political Science at Royal Holloway</strong></p>

<p><em>(This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/poll-finds-more-favourable-attitudes-towards-indian-immigrants-than-pakistanis-and-bangladeshis-why-96040">original article</a>.)</em></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


A recent survey looking into attitudes towards immigrants of different origins asked 1,668 UK adults whether immigrants had made a positive or negative contribution to British life

By: Rakib Ehsan* A recent survey looking into attitudes towards immigrants of different origins has thrown up some interesting figures. YouGov asked 1,668 UK adults whether immigrants from various parts of the world had made a positive or negative contribution to British life. While immigrants from India received a healthy positive figure of +25, their South Asian counterparts are in negative territory. Bangladeshis have a net figure of -3. Pakistanis fare even worse at -4. Net figures are calculated by taking away the figure for "negative contribution" from the figure for "positive contribution". There are a range of factors that might account for these differences - some historical, some economic and some social and religious. Migratory story The initial flow of steady Indian migration started in the 1950s. As well as a notable number of politically disaffected Punjabi Sikhs, this flow included a stream of highly educated Gujarati migrants. Many ended up working as medical professionals in the NHS. In the 1970s, a number of migrants of Indian origin sought refuge in the UK following their expulsion from Uganda. The stream of Indian migration from East Africa also included people fleeing state discrimination in Kenya. The vast proportion of these migrants were well-educated and entrepreneurial. Indeed, following their expulsion, the backbone of the Ugandan economy crumbled under Idi Amin’s dictatorship. Ugandan Indians are collectively a British success story. Many of the initial Pakistani and Bangladeshi migrants, on the other hand, originated from deprived regions such as Azad Kashmir, where the rate of Pakistani migration increased following the construction of the Mangla Dam in the 1960s, a project that left more than 250 villages submerged. Many others are from Sylhet and migrated following the damage caused by the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. Settlers from Pakistan and Bangladesh often filled manual jobs, particularly those in steel mills and the textiles industry. Due to poor English skills, many were unable to progress in terms of employment or to interact with the wider population. This continues to be a problem within Britain’s Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, particularly among women. Socio-economic status Then there are differences in economic performance. According to 2010 data, Indians in the UK are far more likely to work in higher-skilled professional jobs than Bangladeshis and Pakistanis. A recent population survey found that 59% of UK women in a combined Bangladeshi-Pakistani category were economically inactive. The corresponding figure for Indian-origin women was only 32%. British Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities have historically ranked highly when measuring average fertility rates by ethnicity in the UK. The fertility rate for British Indians is noticeably lower in comparison. What this data collectively suggest is that due to superior occupational status, a higher proportion of two-income households and substantially lower fertility rates, British Indian households are far less likely to be dependent on welfare. Therefore perceptions regarding welfare dependency may have fed into the YouGov figures. Social integration The YouGov figures could also be influenced by differences in social contact. There is the possibility that a high number of the respondents simply don’t have much experience of communicating with people of Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin. The 2010 data shows that Bangladeshis and Pakistanis living in the UK have far higher levels of residential and social segregation than Indians. They are more likely to be part of social and economic networks which are predominantly made out of people from their own ethnic group. This is partly down to being occupationally segregated in the transport and hospitality sectors. British Indians have higher levels of “social mixing” through friends, neighbours and work colleagues. This creates greater opportunities for positive contact across ethnic groups. “Outgroupers” may be less likely to experience positive contact with British Bangladeshis and Pakistanis due to the comparatively higher levels of social, economic and residential segregation within these groups. Religious effect The religious composition of the ethnic groups cannot be ignored either. A substantial proportion of UK Indians are either Hindu or Sikh. Britain’s Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are nearly all Sunni Muslim. And the 2010 data shows that UK Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are more likely to identify more with their faith (when traded-off against British identification). Perceptions of homegrown terrorism and Islamic radicalisation could also have played a part in the negative net figures for the Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups. The ethnic background of perpetrators involved in domestic terrorist activities and UK citizens who have joined Daesh “as jihadis” or “jihadi brides” may be implicated in negative group perceptions, even if these people make up a tiny proportion of the population. Major cases of child sexual exploitation in places such as Rochdale and Rotherham are unlikely to have helped. Looking to the future The YouGov figures suggest that economic performance, social relations and religio-cultural values can all influence perceptions on immigration. The negative actions of a minority can certainly lead to unfair generalisations. But considering the group trends in socioeconomic status and sociocultural integration, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Bangladeshi and Pakistani immigrants are viewed more negatively than those of Indian origin. The question remains what to do about it. The state does have a role to play in improving social and economic outcomes. But frank discussions need to be held within certain groups over socioeconomic progress and sociocultural modernisation. And their place in Britain’s liberal democracy. *Rakib Ehsan is Doctoral Researcher in Political Science at Royal Holloway (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Britishers have favourable attitude towards Indian immigrants

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