LONDON: An annual survey of British Sikhs has found that only 21% feel “very proud” to have Rishi Sunak as PM despite his Punjabi heritage.
Sunak’s father, Yashvir, is from a Punjabi family who, before Partition, came from Gujranwala, now in Pakistan.
Seventy-two per cent of those who felt not proud thought the Hindu community would benefit from Sunak’s premiership, while less than 1% thought Sikhs would benefit. Across all respondents, 7% thought that Sikhs would benefit from Sunak being PM with 46% saying Hindus would benefit.
The 10th British Sikh Report was launched in Parliament on Tuesday. It contains statistical information about the over half a million Sikhs living in Britain for use by public authorities to understand the needs of British Sikhs.
Forty-three per cent of respondents said they intended to vote Labour at the next general election and 20% said they intended to vote Conservative.
The report found that Sikhs were grappling with the cost of living crisis. More than half of Sikhs received income increases well below the rate of inflation during the past year, while 60% of those aged 50 or more said they had provided financial help to adult children in the past year.
Twenty per cent of respondents said they did not have much trust in the police and just over 10% said they had zero trust. More than half of all respondents said UK police were institutionally racist, while 82% said they would like to see more Sikhs in the police service. Yet over half of those aged 20 to 49 said they would not pursue a career in policing. Fifty-four per cent said they did not think police understand issues affecting the Sikh community. Nearly half of Sikhs aged below 65 years said concerns reported to police by Sikhs are not taken seriously and 60% said police should be more culturally aware.
The majority (61%) had not experienced any hate crime and did not know anyone who had. But 6% said they had experienced Sikh hate crime and reported it. A further 17% said they had experienced hate crime, but not reported it.
With strong connections to their ancestral homeland, 44% said tackling drugs was their top priority in Punjab, followed by tackling corruption (33%). Other issues that concerned them in Punjab were education (19%), employment (17%), the brain drain (11%), sustainable agriculture (16%), and sovereignty/independence (16%).
Sunak’s father, Yashvir, is from a Punjabi family who, before Partition, came from Gujranwala, now in Pakistan.
Seventy-two per cent of those who felt not proud thought the Hindu community would benefit from Sunak’s premiership, while less than 1% thought Sikhs would benefit. Across all respondents, 7% thought that Sikhs would benefit from Sunak being PM with 46% saying Hindus would benefit.
The 10th British Sikh Report was launched in Parliament on Tuesday. It contains statistical information about the over half a million Sikhs living in Britain for use by public authorities to understand the needs of British Sikhs.
Forty-three per cent of respondents said they intended to vote Labour at the next general election and 20% said they intended to vote Conservative.
The report found that Sikhs were grappling with the cost of living crisis. More than half of Sikhs received income increases well below the rate of inflation during the past year, while 60% of those aged 50 or more said they had provided financial help to adult children in the past year.
Twenty per cent of respondents said they did not have much trust in the police and just over 10% said they had zero trust. More than half of all respondents said UK police were institutionally racist, while 82% said they would like to see more Sikhs in the police service. Yet over half of those aged 20 to 49 said they would not pursue a career in policing. Fifty-four per cent said they did not think police understand issues affecting the Sikh community. Nearly half of Sikhs aged below 65 years said concerns reported to police by Sikhs are not taken seriously and 60% said police should be more culturally aware.
The majority (61%) had not experienced any hate crime and did not know anyone who had. But 6% said they had experienced Sikh hate crime and reported it. A further 17% said they had experienced hate crime, but not reported it.
With strong connections to their ancestral homeland, 44% said tackling drugs was their top priority in Punjab, followed by tackling corruption (33%). Other issues that concerned them in Punjab were education (19%), employment (17%), the brain drain (11%), sustainable agriculture (16%), and sovereignty/independence (16%).