BAME label ‘crudely conflates’ ethnic groups and should be scrapped, research finds

The term “BAME” should be scrapped as it “erases identities”, NHS-backed research has concluded. It said terminology that "crudely conflates" different groups "does not just erase identities, it can also lead to broad brush policy decisions that fail to appreciate the nuance of ethnic inequality in the UK". Generic collective terms such as "BAME", "BME" and "ethnic minority" are "not representative or universally popular", the Observatory said, after receiving responses from 5,104 people. Where possible the Observatory will be specific about the ethnic groups it is referring to, but where collective terminology is necessary it will "always be guided by context and not adopt a blanket term". The survey found "ethnic minority" was the least unpopular collective term, with equal proportions feeling unhappy and happy with it.