Page 9 | Are these people really British?

glitterpaperchain · 2026-07-21T13:07:02+00:00

In 1688, foreign strangers were arriving on British shores daily. The locals complained of despoilment of their environment. Londoners complained that French was everywhere, and not a word of English could be heard spoken! The French immigrants were denigrated either for being too poor, thus a drain on rate-paying parishioners, or too prosperous, at the expense of local merchants and business owners. (Taken from Thou Savage Woman by Blessin Adams, great book!) That sounds exactly like what I hear the media saying about immigrants now! So when the far right are making sure that Britain is for the British, shall they make sure we all trace our lineage back to the 1600s, and make sure no descendents of those awful French immigrants count as British?

Original poster

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 15:07

Friendlygingercat · 21/07/2026 14:47

Ive seen this kind of naive argument raised before. The Romans invaded. The Saxons invaded. The Normans invaded. And so on.

In those days there was no democracy so the native population had no say in the matter.

Now we are supposed to be a democracy. However, beginning with Windrush, successive governments have allowed large ethnic groups into this country without any public mandate. This has changed the face and character of the country in ways that many of us now deeply resent. Instead of simply allowing these people into the country as guest workers we have given them equal citizenship. Again, without any public consultation or mandate.

I don't recall a referendum on "do you want a multi cultural society" but nevertheless we got one. I know what my vote would have been.

Do you not see the irony in what you are saying at all?

OP posts:

Original poster

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 15:06

Limecar · 21/07/2026 14:59

It was gene selection. Those without the gene died out.

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Yes that's how evolution works

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glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 15:04

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RanniTheWitch · 21/07/2026 15:04

Friendlygingercat · 21/07/2026 14:47

Ive seen this kind of naive argument raised before. The Romans invaded. The Saxons invaded. The Normans invaded. And so on.

In those days there was no democracy so the native population had no say in the matter.

Now we are supposed to be a democracy. However, beginning with Windrush, successive governments have allowed large ethnic groups into this country without any public mandate. This has changed the face and character of the country in ways that many of us now deeply resent. Instead of simply allowing these people into the country as guest workers we have given them equal citizenship. Again, without any public consultation or mandate.

I don't recall a referendum on "do you want a multi cultural society" but nevertheless we got one. I know what my vote would have been.

They might not have had an elected government but they still had power over public policy via civil war. The whole reason the 1066 war happened was because Harold Godwinson was crowned king, despite William of Normandy being Edward the Confessor’s closest relative (ignoring Edgar Ætheling, who was a child). The English public were threatening civil war as they didn’t want a Norman king, they wanted an English king, so Harold was crowned, resulting in William’s invasion to claim the throne, which he had a very valid claim to.

SerendipityJane · 21/07/2026 15:00

Friendlygingercat · 21/07/2026 14:47

Ive seen this kind of naive argument raised before. The Romans invaded. The Saxons invaded. The Normans invaded. And so on.

In those days there was no democracy so the native population had no say in the matter.

Now we are supposed to be a democracy. However, beginning with Windrush, successive governments have allowed large ethnic groups into this country without any public mandate. This has changed the face and character of the country in ways that many of us now deeply resent. Instead of simply allowing these people into the country as guest workers we have given them equal citizenship. Again, without any public consultation or mandate.

I don't recall a referendum on "do you want a multi cultural society" but nevertheless we got one. I know what my vote would have been.

Referendums aren't useful in a parliamentary democracy.

I mean we had one 10 years ago, and it's not solved anything.

Also, nothing stopping you from getting elected on your manifesto. I mean if you don't like the ready meals sold in supermarkets, you can always learn to cook.

Limecar · 21/07/2026 14:59

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 14:32

Did you know, whiteness evolved because when we migrated to Europe and developed agriculture, we had such a poor diet that we involved lighter skin in order to absorb more vitamin D from the sun!

(I read this in Built on Bones by Brenna Hassett, I believe)

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It was gene selection. Those without the gene died out.

chirrupybird · 21/07/2026 14:59

Britain has been invaded so many times in the past as well as having waves of immigration from all over that I don't even know what British is apart from being born in this country or taking out British citizenship. I assume many recent immigrants still associate themselves with their home countries rather than Britain as most of us would if we moved abroad.

susiedaisy1912 · 21/07/2026 14:58

RanniTheWitch · 21/07/2026 14:22

Yeah it’s always been the way. People a few hundred years ago were really not much different from us except they had less technology. They still believed that the old ways were better, and constantly complained about things like immigration, youth culture, and people being work-shy.

This

Limecar · 21/07/2026 14:57

It's fine if you want to live in an economic zone with many millions of people from 195 countries all here for their own personal financial gain I suppose.

Millions don't.

Mass immigration in one lifetime hasn't created a multi cultural nirvana has it? The country is deeply divided with the pro globalisation people sneering at the people that disagree with them. This seems to be the predominant "British value" now as evidenced by this enjoyable sneer thread. Is this the outcome you wanted? I get the impression it is, maximum sneer and contempt opportunity.

Octavia64 · 21/07/2026 14:53

Due to the British empire the people who came in on the windrush and similar were British subjects.

countries without empires had to have guest workers because they didn’t have a source of labour to rebuild the country that already had citizenship.

(now the phrase is British citizens but at the time it was subjects).

Saltysweetspicy · 21/07/2026 14:52

Where abouts in the UK do you live OP?

Friendlygingercat · 21/07/2026 14:47

Ive seen this kind of naive argument raised before. The Romans invaded. The Saxons invaded. The Normans invaded. And so on.

In those days there was no democracy so the native population had no say in the matter.

Now we are supposed to be a democracy. However, beginning with Windrush, successive governments have allowed large ethnic groups into this country without any public mandate. This has changed the face and character of the country in ways that many of us now deeply resent. Instead of simply allowing these people into the country as guest workers we have given them equal citizenship. Again, without any public consultation or mandate.

I don't recall a referendum on "do you want a multi cultural society" but nevertheless we got one. I know what my vote would have been.

SerendipityJane · 21/07/2026 14:42

CorvusNoir · 21/07/2026 14:40

Have always loved Stewart Lee's monologue from 2013 having a go st UKIP's constant immigrant bashing back then.

"Paul Nuttals of the UKIPs" 😀

We are a funny little island ...

CorvusNoir · 21/07/2026 14:40

Have always loved Stewart Lee's monologue from 2013 having a go st UKIP's constant immigrant bashing back then.

OneAmberFinch · 21/07/2026 14:39

Yup, you're so right OP. Scale is irrelevant and it's bizarre that anyone would fixate on this. Reformbots with their stupid "hang on, the population has radically changed in the space of just one generation, this is historically extremely unusual in non-wartime/invasion cases" will surely be silenced when they hear about the Huguenots...

Octavia64 · 21/07/2026 14:39

Not sure of your point.

there have been regular riots in London since at least the early Middle Ages against foreigners and immigrants (usually the French but sometimes the Dutch or the Spanish).

Original poster

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 14:37

SadiraOfTyr · 21/07/2026 14:37

Pretty sure that OP is referring to the Huguenot diaspora (ie refugees) rather than the Dutch Invasion.

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I am 👍

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SadiraOfTyr · 21/07/2026 14:37

Xnz2022 · 21/07/2026 14:31

The invasion of 1688?

I'm not sure it is the best idea to compare modern migration to historical migrations linked to invasions..

Because that is the line that the right has been saying (and ridiculed correctly for doing so) for years "we are being invaded.."

Pretty sure that OP is referring to the Huguenot diaspora (ie refugees) rather than the Dutch Invasion.

hahabahbag · 21/07/2026 14:36

I’d love a German passport, my great grandfather was German coming here is 1908 and anglicised his name at the outbreak of the First World War, alas that’s not a strong enough connection

SerendipityJane · 21/07/2026 14:35

Londonmummy66 · 21/07/2026 14:33

I believe that a Dutchman came over in 1688 and claimed he was entitled to be here due to his wife being a Brit.........

He was invited.

Original poster

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 14:33

Xnz2022 · 21/07/2026 14:31

The invasion of 1688?

I'm not sure it is the best idea to compare modern migration to historical migrations linked to invasions..

Because that is the line that the right has been saying (and ridiculed correctly for doing so) for years "we are being invaded.."

That's kind of my point. That isn't it ridiculous that the right sound like this. I was reading this book and read some of these parts aloud to my husband and said, sounds familiar doesn't it!

OP posts:

Londonmummy66 · 21/07/2026 14:33

I believe that a Dutchman came over in 1688 and claimed he was entitled to be here due to his wife being a Brit.........

Original poster

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 14:32

SerendipityJane · 21/07/2026 14:23

We all have "some African" in us. It's where we evolved.

Show quote history

Did you know, whiteness evolved because when we migrated to Europe and developed agriculture, we had such a poor diet that we involved lighter skin in order to absorb more vitamin D from the sun!

(I read this in Built on Bones by Brenna Hassett, I believe)

OP posts:

Xnz2022 · 21/07/2026 14:31

The invasion of 1688?

I'm not sure it is the best idea to compare modern migration to historical migrations linked to invasions..

Because that is the line that the right has been saying (and ridiculed correctly for doing so) for years "we are being invaded.."

Original poster

glitterpaperchain · 21/07/2026 14:28

NoCommentingFromNowOn · 21/07/2026 14:26

I discovered the existence of various societies the other week, dedicated to the firstborn sons of each generation who are descendants of officers who served in the Revolutionary war, or people who are direct descendants of those who were on the Mayflower and so on, many of these societies. And these very same people come to Scotland (or wherever) and proclaim that they are Scottish. Some people are divisive, desperate to have a club that they belong to that you can’t and never will because {reasons}.

There is no one who is truly any random nationality, maybe for the last four or five generations, but look further than that and people have always moved around.

Yes I think it's really interesting how some Americans will claim to be Scottish/Irish because of an ancestor from the 1700s. My husband's family is Irish living in a touristy part of Ireland and they find it quite cringe when an American visits and claims they're Irish as well!

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