Neighbour has put up huge Unite the Kingdom flag

I think that may be starting to change as the far-right get more emboldened.

There's a show of solidarity this evening, for a mosque near me that was torched last weekend, just a mile or two from the only significant display of "flagging". The organisers think there may be a couple of hundred people attending, which is a lot for a small south coast town.

Why do people who have arrived in France need to claim asylum in the UK? They can claim asylum in France, which is where they are. Afaik France is an entirely safe country.

I just feel sorry for you and worried about the future of this country because of the attitudes and false beliefs of people like you. Just makes me feel very sad tbh 💔🤷‍♀️ I'm not misinformed or ignorant btw & it's a lot more than 50% who don't agree with the reform party views and opinions we just aren't all out on the streets (yet) or hanging stupid flags or vandalising roundabouts. I'm volunteering by fostering stray cats and kittens every day for a local charity. What are you doing in your community out of interest?

there is some small comfort: Labi Siffre has had to issue a cease and desist order to stop the Tommy Robinson campaign from using Siffre’s song ‘something inside so strong’

the irony.

Exactly OP. Tommy Ten Names is a violent thug and convicted criminal, having served five prison terms. He was also a member of the National Front and the founder of the English Defence League - both deeply racist and nationalistic organisations. How his supporters like @Petitchat can try to claim that anything written about him is inaccurate, when there's a wealth of evidence to show what he is (even by his own hand) shows just how deluded they are.

Agreed.

It's funny isn't it because I think exactly the same of the other 50%, that often they are misinformed or somewhat ignorant.

Works both ways...

So I have. Unsurprisingly, after the bundle on, it gets to difficult to keep up!

But I hope the figures have answered your question regarding one of the reasons why people are not happy about immigration.

You're confusing me with the person you made your point about communism to I'm afraid.

I responded to the relevant pp regarding that eons ago.

'So if there are, as you say, many reasons for this, why zero in on immigration?' Because immigration is relevant to the topic of this thread. As previously stated there are an extra 6.93M extra registered patients in the UK since 2015.

33,556 people entered the UK illegally this year so far. That is larger than the population of an average town. To deny the added strain this puts on the NHS is absurd.

'Why is that the one that merits flag-flying, if there are indeed multiple factors which make life difficult in many places, as I would certainly agree that there are..' As previously answered. People are not flying flags solely because they can't get a Dr appointment, there are many reasons why people are anti immigration, this is just one factor in the grand scheme of things.

Unless you are asking why people aren't flying flags to protest GPs working 3 day weeks for example? To which I will answer we can't force doctors to work longer weeks but we can stop people from entering our country illegally and draining tax payers money!

Now, can you actually answer the solutions you have for wealth disparity, that don't look like communism, or is it radio silence again?

There is no other way for them to claim asylum, they need to be in the country to claim it. We need to change our system 100% but that should include a system in France to allow for those that need asylum to claim it. That realistically is the way to “stop the boats”, however we do need to keep in mind the very low numbers of people that enter the UK this way.

Missed the bit with the name-calling, I'm afraid. I wanted a bit of explanation, because it seemed to me that your argument was, Kirsty can't get a GP appointment because of immigration so will end up in A&E and so on.

However, in a scenario where there do not appear to be any immigrants, your response was a) yes there are (although I'm still not clear whether you were saying 'yes there are' or 'you are lying', and I did want clarification on that) but also, b) there are many reasons people struggle to get GP appointments.

So if there are, as you say, many reasons for this, why zero in on immigration? Why is that the one that merits flag-flying, if there are indeed multiple factors which make life difficult in many places, as I would certainly agree that there are.

I didn't say claiming asylum or to emigrate to a new country was illegal. I said I object to illegal immigrants, especially of no provenance. People crossing the Channel in boats are illegal immigrants, frequently with no ID (sometimes this is intentional, but I am aware that traffickers can also keep their victims' ID). Come the proper way and that's fine by me.

Indeed, but who started the name calling because you couldn't win the argument...

Leave it there shall we.

I agree with you. But if you mention the effect of legal migration too, people lose their shit entirely. It's already a pile on at the best of times if you don't subscribe to the popular view on here.

The second biggest, and fastest growing, group in the UK as far as religion goes is those of no religion, according to the last census. If that trend continues, religion will soon be an irrelevance and having an "official" religion will be a nonsense.

As for "White British" becoming a minority, how far back do you want to go? DNA analysis of the remains found in a cave in Cheddar Gorge showed that 10,000 years ago, Britons had dark brown skin and black hair, so presumably the light skin in itself is either a genetic adaptation or the result of mixing with other groups. The human race originated in Africa, so anyone north of the Med is descended from migrants.

The whole notion of some sort of racial purity is not only nonsense in a country that has been mixed to varying degrees since before the Romans got here, but it also has a very unpleasant 20th century history.

Yeah me too! but often they are misinformed or somewhat ignorant tbh. 🙄 nothing really surprises me anymore. Spent time with old uni friends at the weekend and one woman is 'worried for her daughter's safetly with all the immigrants coming over' - I couldn't really believe what I was hearing tbh from a well educated friend. She should be FAR MORE worried about the awful white supremacist thugs already in the UK. I know I am! I'd happily swap the Tommy Robinsons in this country for a nice boat of immigrants.

As we used to chant in the playground, when our discourse was more at this level: "I know you are, you said you are, but what am Iiiiii?" 😂😂😂

She isnt dismayed by the flag

she is dismayed by the TR one

and she may be completely wrong about TR but its wrong to misinterpret her position

Not only illegal immigrants. There are areas in South Yorkshire (and elsewhere) where large numbers of Eastern European Roma have settled. They arrived legally. They often have large families, and end up living in overcrowded homes, lots of two up two down terrace houses. These areas, already multi cultural, have seen the houses plummet in value, huge tensions in the community due to very different lifestyles, lots of rubbish, flytipping etc. Their custom of socialising outdoors is noisy, and for some residents, feels intimidating.

Are the existing residents, including people of Pakistani, Yemeni, African, West Indian and white British ethnicities, racist? As has been pointed out earlier in this thread, the issues are often about the lack of integration, and the accelerating rate of change. The people making the rules, such as the government and the judiciary don’t live in these areas. They don’t fear walking out of their front door, their streets aren’t piled high with detritus. People are feeling unheard, worried for their children in the schools, for their futures.

@Grammarnut its not illegal to be an immigrant or to go to a country to apply for asylum.

Thanks for the update OP

It IS unreasonable to be dismayed by our own country's flag.

My advice to you would be not to believe everything you read about TR.

I am reminded of Isaiah's advice to the Israelites deported to Babylon: that they should put down roots, literally by growing stuff, marry and have children, and grandchildren, and pray for the prosperity of Babylon because they would themselves then prosper.
Basically, fitting in and supporting the society you are in is a good idea and that bewailing that the new home is not like the old one is a waste of energy.
I also object to illegal immigrants, who are indeed a security risk. I also object to the traffickers making money out of people's need.

That's what is so annoying about it. You look and think ahh that's positive I'll pass that sentiment on, then you realise it's Tommy, but the damage is already done.