Let’s have a look at the borough of Tower Hamlets in numbers.
The statistic politicos always cite is this one: there are 46 elected representatives–one mayor and 45 councillors. Of those, 27 are Bengali (59 per cent), one is Somali (two per cent), while 18 (39 per cent) would describe themselves as white.
All the following other figures are from the Office for National Statistics 2011 Census survey.
As they say, there are lies, damned lies and statistics. But there are also myths that statistics help to bust.
Figure 1: An overall summary
There are 254,096 residents in Tower Hamlets. More than half are men, which is a touch higher than the London or national average. Most live in households as opposed to hostels and other communal establishments, such as student halls of residence.
Look at the last row and we see what we already know–that Tower Hamlets is densely populated, with the number of people per hectare more than double the London average.
Figure 2: Population by ethnicity. Myth-buster: It’s not ‘full of them Bengalis’
There are 114,819 people who describe themselves as white, or 45 per cent of the population. White British people account for 31.2 per cent. White Other, such as French, Germans, Americans, Lithuanians, Australians etc, account for 12.4 per cent.
British Bangladeshis account for 32 per cent.
There are also 22,975 people who are of black African/Caribbean/mixed white Afro-Caribbean descent, or 9 per cent of residents. Three per cent of residents have a Chinese heritage, or 8,109 people.
Remember, there is just one Somali councillor, but none from the category ‘Black Caribbean’.
When was the last time we had a councillor who would describe themselves from this community? What is being done to engage in this area? Rarely, if at all (and perhaps after the 2011 riots), have I heard any discussion in council meetings about this category. Is this where the real racism exists?
Figure 3: Population by religion: Myth-buster: ‘Tower Hamlets…it’s full of them Muslims’
People who stated they were Muslim accounted for 34.5 per cent of residents (87,696). Clearly, almost two-thirds (65.5 per cent) are not Muslim. Those saying they were Christian were 27 per cent, while 19.1 per cent said they had no religion.
Compare this with the London and England averages.
In London as a whole, a relatively large 48 per cent stated they were Christian compared with 59 per cent across England. In London, 12.3 per cent (one in eight) are Muslims, compared with five per cent in England.
Figure 4: Population by country of birth – detailed (click table for larger resolution)
Of the 144,662 people living in Tower Hamlets who were born in the UK, more than half started life in England, ie 54.6 per cent. Of those born abroad, 14,607 were born in ‘old EU’ countries such as France, Germany and spain (member countries in 2001). Another 7,828 have come from ‘new EU’ countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Romania etc.
But far more were born outside Europe, ie some 80,000 people. I wonder how many people would be surprised to learn fewer than half these are from Bangladesh, ie 38,877.
The rest were born in at least 30 other countries, with India, China, Somalia, and the US leading the pack.
Of those, we hear much about the Somali community in council meetings…probably because they’re far more of a settled community. But what about the Chinese community? Again, I can’t remember any discussions about them. Why is that?
Figure 5: Population by nationality/country passport held
While 144,662 people were born in the UK, 176,531, or 69.5 per cent of the borough’s peopulation) holds a British passport.
Table 2 showed us that 56,506 were born in ‘Middle East and Asia’, including 38,000 in Bangladesh. Of these, only 22,184 people hold passports for those countries.
Figure 6a: Population by Age of Arrival in the UK
More than half of the borough’s population were born in the UK, ie 59.9 per cent, or 144,662 people. The averages for London and England are 63.3 per cent and 86.2 per cent respectively.
Of the 109,434 people born abroad, 65,453, or 60 per cent, were aged between 20 and 44 when they came to the UK. Now have a look at this..
Figure 6b: Population by year arrived in the UK
Of the 109,434 people in Tower Hamlets who were born abroad, more than half have come to the UK since 2001, ie 59,392, or 54 per cent. That’s 23.3 per cent of the entire borough population, ie almost a quarter.
You could look at it this way: 36,596 people now living in Tower Hamlets arrived in this country during the two Thatcher and Major decades (from 1981-2000, say)…while 59,392 came during the Blair/Brown decade. I can’t find an ONS table to show from which countries these 59,000 migrants came, but here’s an indicator of the latest flows.
Figure 6c: Population in 2011: Usual country of residence a year ago for newly arrived migrants
This table relates to the current 2011 population of Tower Hamlets. It shows the usual country of residence for people a year before. I’ve included the top 50.
Those damned Yanks and French–they’re swamping Tower Hamlets. Blame the bankers probably. Meanwhile 494 people came from Bangladesh. Some of those could be short term students.
And as for those central and eastern Europeans…fewer than 800 came from seven countries to the borough in 2010/11.
Figure 7a: Population by primary language spoken
Almost two-thirds of people in the borough stated that English was their main language, ie 159,488 people, or 65.8 per cent of those over the age of three.
It follows that more than a third (34.2 per cent), or 82,880 people, do not use English as their first language. Of those, more than half do not apparently believe they speak English “very well”.
What are these other main languages spoken by almost 82,880 people? What proportion do you think is accounted for by Bengali/Sylheti?
Figure 7b: Population by primary language spoken–detailed (it’s worth clicking this table for a better resolution)
So 43,525 people speak Bengali/Sylheti as their main language. That’s 18 per cent of the borough’s population–fewer than one in five.
But here’s an interesting thought. From figure 2 above, there are 81,377 people in the borough classifying themselves as Bengali. That means about half (53.4 per cent to be exact) speak Bengali as their main language. Presumably, the main language for the other half is English. This is the generational change.
Younger Bengalis speak English first and foremost. The older guard worry about this. And some of them are senior figures in the council. They’re rapidly becoming irrelevant.
And for the time being, here’s one last table that I found interesting..
Figure 8: Number of residents employed in the Armed Forces
Just 0.06 per cent of Tower Hamlets residents are employed in the Armed Forces. It’s not a Tower Hamlets ‘thing’ actually. The percentage for London as a whole is only 0.08 per cent. This compares with 0.2 per cent for England nationwide.
London is the worst recruiter for Armed Forces personnel. Why is that?
Anyway, that’s your lot for now.
Trial by Jeory 
London is the worst recruiter for Armed Forces personnel. Why is that?
My uneducated guess: more to do and better job prospects.
You’re being very provocative here Ted; both in the sense of winding people up and being thought provoking!
In my humble opinion the British Bangladeshi community are far better represented in civic life in Tower Hamlets because they value what they’ve fought for. People who had just fought a war of liberation ‘back home’ arrived on these shores to a far from warm welcome from the fascists in the National Front, and precious little help from local councillors or the GLC. They organised themselves and they got involved in political parties. Other communities have a different story to tell.
They’ve made Tower Hamlets their home, they’ve made it what it is and no doubt they want to see it be a better place to live. Far more so than most of the middle class white arrivistes – whatever country they’re from – who largely don’t get involved, or stick around.
Yes, i agree. On all counts. There are however forgotten communities. What has Labour been doing to address them (in terms of encouraging into civic life)?
I’m not a party officer any more, but what I would say is that Labour is the only party to have had Councillors elected from BAME groups, other than Bangladeshi or Somali, or indeed from the white working class community. And we ran candidates in target seats this year from a more diverse range of backgrounds than any other serious party.
And, just of the top of my head, I can think of former councillors such as Ash McGregor, Betheline Chatthopaday, Catherine Tuit, Joe Ramanoop – who were neither white, Bengali or Somali. Not forgetting the numerous Jewish and Irish councllors from previous generations. And our candidates in the last election included awesome people like Robbie Scott or Victoria Obaze, who sadly failed to make it across the finishing line. I don’t see that rich and diverse heritage on the Tory or THF benches.
As a party that is serious about organising in every region and nation of Great Britain, we are also serious about inclusion and diversity – noticibly it’s Labour governments that bring in equality legislation and programmes to back it up. Not the Tories, not the Liberals and certainly not Tower Hamlets First.
TH Labour Party has had and cointinues to have a variety of activities aimed at engaging specific groups in civic life, and, of course, hopefully in the Labour Party.
Robbie & Victoria, I agree. Ash was also v good. From the little I saw of Bethany, less so.. .
Graham Taylor – at the last election we Tories put up in our strongest areas people like Ahmed Hussain & Geeta Kasanga – Gloria Thienel was one of the few Councillors actually born in TH – Maium Miah was originally elected as a Tory – so we have not done too badly
Ted ask what has Labour being doing ………………… behaving like typical Labour and not as a party genuinely caring about the public except at election times.
Curious Cat.
Graham Taylor wrote
Labour have always, right back to the 1960’s if not earlier, treated Scotland as a poodle belonging to the London Labour Party. When will Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the English regions get genuine proper “equality” with London and the South-East ?
Remember the dumbing-down of Labour’s 1998 Human Rights Act ? Preventing the courts overturning laws that abused the public’s basic Human Rights ? Its dead easy to pontificate with misleading crap about how wonderful Labour is, even though the reality suggests otherwise.
Look at the TH’s disaster. Son of Labour was created by Labour, nurtured by Labour and effectively given a free-run by Labour. Its time TH Labour started working for the public rather than being lazy and embracing some of the real Labour nutters like Livingston and other Labour extremists.
What are Labour’s achievements in TH since Son of Labour was first elected ?
Local government should never be about national politics, just about local improvements benefitting local people.
Labour could have applied to the High Court to become an Interested Party in the JR application – it did not. Why not ? Scared, indifferent, uncaring, clue-less ?
In fact, Labour, Tories, UKIP et al could have applied as a single community entity to be an Interested Party which would have allowed then to offer the court an alternative perspective. Its not too late to join-in at the oral hearing 😉
Curious Cat
No communities are forgotten, what they have to do is involve themselves in civic life, join political parties and get their people elected. Many communities simply don’t get involved because they aren’t interested. Hackney has one of the biggest Turkish, Chinese and Vietnamese communities in the country but apart from a couple of Turkish cllrs they keep themselves to themselves being more interested in business.
Similarly the very large African and African Caribbean communities aren’t involved but that is their choice. Personally I don’t think the race of a councillor or MP is of importance, what is important is hard work and integrity and those qualities are sadly lacking across the entire political spectrum.
“Labour could have applied to the High Court to become an Interested Party in the JR application – it did not. Why not ?”
Well, maybe because Jim Fitzpatrick is on record supporting the JR?
So they didn’t feel there was anything they could add?
=> Dave Roberts,
Also missing is ability and genuine commitment to the betterment of the public.
Curious Cat.
Further, even if they wanted to, Labour could not become an interested party in any lawsuit because Labour is not a legal person.
It would have to be a particular Labour councillor.
I disagree.
Members of the Public, which includes ALL of us, including the English Queen and her family, have multiple legal personalities.
For example, a resident of LBTH may have these legal personalities: resident, parent, car driver, school governor, train commuter, UKIP voter, child of living parents et cetera, et cetera.
In their legal personality as:-
1. residents of the borough;
2. council tax payers;
3. (for some) councillors, political activists, prospective local election candidate etc. etc.
they have a lawful interest in the proceeding before the court and therefore a prima facie Right to ask the Court to be joined to the action as an .
There is nothing in the Court Rules, to my knowledge, preventing a group of individuals who share the same legal personalities, and therefore interest, becoming for the litigation purpose a group who could, for example, call themselves .
Justice should be for all, not for the Rich with unlimited access to vast amounts of Council Tax Payers’ money. Stand-up and Fight otherwise the ******* will steam-roll over you.
Curious Cat.
P.S. Labour is a legal entity. There is probably a Labour Party Ltd or similar.
CC.
I think Ted is limbering up with some statistics relevant to the conclusions and comments contained in the imminent and long awaited PWC report.
BTW do we have a new definition of “imminent” – as in “sometime this year”?
Christmas is a time for giving people appealing presents.
I wonder what Santa PWC will give to TH’s residents 🙂
They say a picture paints a thousand words… Sorry Ted but I prefer this newly released “tube tongues” map produced by UCL from census data:
http://www.citymetric.com/horizons/map-which-languages-are-spoken-different-tube-stops-421
Good ol’ Tower Hamlets have the biggest blobs in the whole of London.
As for the question about low armed forces recruitment – it would be interesting to see which towns/cities/counties offer high levels of armed forces recruitment. I have a feeling they will probably be garrison towns such as Colchester, parts of North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire (for the RAF), Portsmouth, Plymouth and possibly Southampton (for the Navy) etc etc.
I don’t think London ever did have a spectacularly high level of recruitment into the armed forces (outside wartime conscription). Greenwich and Woolwich may have historically had better than average recruitment because of their links with the navy and the artillery. But other London boroughs aren’t particularly known for association with any particular regiments which would drive up recruitment. I don’t think London schools have cadet forces (things like that require outside space for activities). The Cavalry who are or were at Knightsbridge Barracks recruit (as far as I know) from public schools across the country. The Household Cavalry were in St Johns Wood but, again, are a specialist set which did not recruit exclusively within London. And other barracks such as Wellington Barracks seem to be used by whichever regiment is visiting London from week to week.
Having said that, there are many TA centres across the capital (including one at Mile End) so maybe Londoners (and TH residents) are doing their bit but not in a full-time capacity.