Ealing's new mayor celebrates with a team that includes no English members

A viral message claims that the new mayor of the London borough of Ealing celebrated her appointment surrounded by a team with no English members and that white people are now a minority in the capital. The demographic reality of London is more nuanced than that narrative.

## What the circulating message says

A post attributed to an X user claims that the new mayor of the London borough of **Ealing** celebrated her appointment with a team in which, according to the text, there is not a single English person and everyone is Muslim. The same message adds that the English are already a minority in their capital and puts white people at **36%** of London's population. The piece closes with a political conclusion: cultural assimilation would have been a farce and the so-called "replacement" would be under way.

## The 36% figure and what it measures

London is one of Europe's most diverse cities. British censuses typically show that the population identifying as white British has fallen below half in the capital, and that white residents overall stand at around **50%** when other European backgrounds are included. The **36%** figure spread by the message does not match the data published by the **Office for National Statistics** in the **2021** census. That percentage refers, at most, to white British people, not to the total white population.

## Why the mayor's role matters

Ealing is a west London borough with around **340,000** residents. The role of mayor in a London borough is a civic and ceremonial figure, chosen by the council, not an executive position with powers over immigration or cultural policy. Whether the holder is Muslim or of foreign origin does not change the duties of the post or the make-up of the council, which is elected at the local ballot box.

## Assimilation and "replacement" as a frame

The term "replacement" comes from conspiracy theories claiming there is a deliberate plan to replace the native population. There is no evidence of such a plan. Demographic change in London reflects decades of labour migration, family reunification and differing birth rates between groups, not a coordinated strategy. Presenting a borough's diversity as proof of a conspiracy is a leap the data do not allow.