The participation of ethnic minorities in British politics

Abstract

How far have ethnic minorities participated in the British electoral process in the last two decades? In this paper their comparative registration and turn-out levels as well as their voting patterns are examined. In addition, the responses of the political parties to the participation of ethnic minorities in politics and the representation of ethnic minorities at national and local levels of the British political system are presented. It is clear from the evidence that we have a long way to go to reflect multi-ethnic Britain in the House of Commons and in other political institutions.