Exclusive new polling for IPPR finds that the majority of people still see Britishness as something based on shared values, interests and behaviours, despite a small but growing share of the public who believe that being “truly British” is rooted in ancestry, birthplace and ethnicity.
When asked, by YouGov, to pick up to five qualities that make a good British citizen, the most popular answers were obey the law (64 per cent), raise children to be kind (62 per cent) and work hard (48 per cent), compared to sticking up for British-born people above other groups (8 per cent) or having white skin (3 per cent).
Likewise, when asked what would make them proud of the UK in 10 years’ time, people prioritise a well-functioning NHS (69 per cent), daily affordability (53 per cent), and affordable housing (36 per cent), above reductions in the immigrant population (28 per cent) or in the ethnic minority population (13 per cent).
However, the proportion of people who think you must be born British to be truly British has almost doubled, from 19 per cent in 2023 to 36 per cent in 2025.
This shift is most pronounced among people intending to vote for Reform UK, 59 per cent of whom believe British identity is an ethnic, not civic, concept. Seven in ten (71 per cent) Reform supporters think it is important to have British ancestry to be truly British, one third (37 per cent) say they would be prouder of Britain if there were fewer people from ethnic minority backgrounds in 10 years’ time, and one in ten (10 per cent) think it is important to have white skin in order to be a good British citizen.
The research finds evidence that right-wing parties are making inroads in their attempts to remould the nation from a civic to an ethnic community. Proposals for mass deportations by Reform UK and the Conservative party, the rise in far-right protests, and an increase in hate crime point to ethno-nationalism moving from the fringes to the mainstream of British politics.
Given that ethno-nationalist views are still in the minority, though growing, the report says progressive parties must act urgently to tell new stories about who we are, and build a clear, forward-looking sense of national identity.
The report calls on government to build on the Prime Minister’s party conference speech and develop a more confident project of national renewal that runs across economic, social and democratic reform – making clear not only what policies will deliver, but what kind of country Britain is trying to become and what it is that binds us together.
IPPR argues that these findings underline the need for a renewed, hopeful vision of the nation. Progressives must articulate a future-facing national project grounded in collectivism, equality and a sense of agency, as an alternative to the backwards-looking, nostalgic, cynical nationalism of the right.
Dr Parth Patel, associate director at IPPR, said:
“Politicians and activists on the right are trying to change how we think about ourselves and one another. They believe belonging to this nation is defined by ancient rights and historical claims, and want the rest of us to believe that too. Worryingly, they are starting to change the hearts and minds of some people in Britain.
“No longer consigned to the fringes of British politics, rising ethno-nationalism is redefining what the left is for. Having become used to opponents who challenge them mainly on grounds of economic equality, progressives now find themselves locked in conflict with those who reject far more basic tenets of human equality. We should be meeting this contest with confidence and conviction, not intimidation or inevitability. The future depends on what we do now.”
