‘Diversity is a beautiful thing’: the view from Leicester and Birmingham

Shoppers at the Bullring market in Birmingham. A Labour councillor said the city’s ethnic diversity was a ‘veritable strength’. Photograph: Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty Images

Leicester and Birmingham have become the first “super-diverse” cities in the UK, where most people are from black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, according to the 2021 census.

A total of 59% of people in Leicester are from minority ethnic backgrounds, while 51% of Birmingham’s population are people of colour, as are 54% in Luton, according to the data. Across England and Wales, 18% of people are BAME.