British identity MORE people in Blackburn with Darwen are identifying as English than before the EU referendum, figures suggest. That’s according to the Office for National Statics Annual Population Survey, which asks a sample of local people how they would describe their national identity. The survey shows 47 per cent of people in Blackburn with Darwen identified as English in the year to June 2020, up from 41 per cent four years earlier, in the run-up to the EU referendum. The proportion who described themselves as British stayed broadly the same, at 59 per cent. In the survey, people can identify as British, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or “other”. Respondents can choose as many options as they think apply to them, so could choose English and British as dual identities.