Why are majority of the riots in northern towns?

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

DH & I were watching the riots on the news this morning like most people absolutely horrified.

He's from one of the northern towns affected although we live in the south and started discussing why these riots now (and historically) tend to be more focused on northern towns but didn't really come up with any one thing. Any thoughts on this?

https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/where-do-migrants-live-in-the-uk/

communities having to deal with the impact of this could be the issue?

add in the anger of not being listened to / seen / heard or represented. If you look at who voted for Brexit / who voted in Boris’ government and now who are being called “far right” it all ties together.

I’m so sorry you have witnessed this and I’m so sorry there are people with that much hate in their heart. This world is so depressing sometimes

Absolutely appalling remark.

Higher rates of immigration and more divided societies. There is more integration generally in the south.

I think it’s the opposite actually. There is very little diversity in some of these places so people fear the “other” more and are therefore more susceptible to propaganda. I work in one of the places “protesting”. I definitely agree on the poverty aspect though.

I agree, it's deprivation, lack of decent jobs (or any jobs), lack of amenities, lack of decent public transport, etc. Then the government and councils "encourage" people to move in to the "cheaper" homes that no one wants, such as immigrants, newly released prisoners, etc., which increases anti social behaviour, crime, etc.

It's exactly what's happened in many seaside resorts - due to people going abroad, the hotels and guest houses have no trade, so owners take in homeless, benefit claimants, immigrants, ex offenders etc., often encouraged by government/councils. A couple of decades later and those places are riddled by crime, drugs, anti social behaviour etc. Not caused by "genuine" local people, but by people who've been "bussed in" from elsewhere. Now that is spreading to the more industrial towns who've lost their industries.

It's not rocket science. It's why Boris's "Red Wall" turned blue when he promised support to regenerate run down Northern towns. Trouble is, it didn't happen, and there's no sign of it happening, so "Northern folk" feel doubly let down!

@RainyWoodland

What is it about a small seaside town do you think could drive people back to riot because they once had a holiday there?

Well isabel oakshore you know girl friend of Richard tice mp of reform. Took a video of back to backs in Leeds Harthills where them other riots took place and was apparently shocked at the state and poverty. Me as a northerner that lives in a place that got levelled down not up thought wow you entitled posh lass .
The point is this country is like 2 different places us lot up here really think the previous gov have left us all behind and many people do not trust any gov
That being said none of that excuse the far right mobs. They know that many up here voted reform. Also many of the towns like Sunderland are not really that diverse. My place is but a load more Muslims then I think they would want to cross so I am surprised they didn't come here like they did in 2001 .
Yes alot of anger but that's neoliberalism for you capitalism has caused this. People moaning about paying tax when if multi billion pound corporations paid better tax we could invest that everywhere and cause less people being fed up and misdirection that to being told it's migrants fault when it's really not.

I noticed that when I read out the list to dm yesterday to warn her not to go to her nearest big towns (both were effected). It did make me think.

I grew up in the north. We hardly saw anyone who wasn't white. I remember the excitement at a family from Hong Kong coming to the village. I think they were the first non-white people I saw except when visiting my gran in the midlands.
We knew that there were a number of Asians in the local town. But they kept to themselves, went to their own schools and didn't really mix. I could honestly say I'd never spoken to any.
It was very much a them and us.

I've moved away. I love how multicultural now our area is. I won't say there never are incidents, I doubt anywhere will get to that situation, but on the whole it's fairly well integrated.
I had assumed that over the years similar would have happened when I grew up, and they would have integrated.
However my sister visited a couple of years ago with her teenage daughters. They would regard themselves as very open and tolerant, but on the day we went to London, the girls made two or three comments that really took my breath away - they clearly regarded "them and us". It wasn't from a position of nastiness, just ignorance, but it was clear that they assumed everyone felt like that. I think they were quite nonplussed to find that wasn't everyone's position, but when challenged they went for a "you don't really understand poor little us" attitude rather than opening their eyes.

So put a situation where you do have a "them and us" feeling, add in poverty, a feeling of not being understood, resentment and light the touch paper and let it rumble. The people who want rioting either because they enjoy the excuse for violence or have reasons of their own for wanting destabilisation, provide the environment and stoke the fire.

However I do also think one of the other damaging issues is the north v south. An attitude I get from here as well as when my nieces were visiting, is that they feel the north is better and find it most annoying that the south doesn't recognise that; plus anything that is wrong in the north is really the south's fault.

A recognition that both north, south and the midlands all have good parts and bad parts and can learn from each other would be helpful rather than blaming/excuses.

And the media have a big part to play in this. Let's stop headlines where race is the main focus. Should the white indigenous population have been targeted after Hungerford? After Dunblane? It's the same logic. We're not one mass of people who think the same.

We are people first and foremost. We have our own thoughts, our own prejudices, and should take responsibility for our own actions. It doesn't matter where we come from, the colour of our skin, the family we have or not. Inside we are all people.

Let's take this tragic event and use if for good. Work together to help people rather than using violence. Change hatred and suspicion into love and loyalty to each other.

The leader of the EDL , Tommy Robinson is iirc from Luton (which is obvs not in the North) and seems to have plenty of support from other racists there

That’s quite a west coast / Glasgow specific issue. In other Scottish cities and towns, it’s not really a thing

Beer. £7 a pint here. c. £3.50 on Holy Island and in Newcastle City Centre.

Eating out hugely cheaper too and pretty much all the leisure activities we booked.

Train fares, £4.20 for the 40 mins single journey from Hexham to Newcastle. £16.80 for a single from where I live, for the 30 min journey into London.

Is this really true? Heard a segment on r4 where the presenter said this but the police spokesperson said no all arrests were of locals.

You're absolutely spot on. I live in one of the northern mill towns, maybe the same one as your home town. Nothing has changed!
Some of the comments on this thread are infuriating!

There are more cities up there.

But London, aldershot, Portsmouth and Bristol have had protests.

They re all southern cities.

I think if you look at the that have experienced protests/riots they have a lot of poverty. The southern cities that have do too. And it's known that northern cities suffer more and are also bigger.

As a working class person can you not just call them racists it's sod all really to do with that its more to do with being led like sheep. I think it's an excuse because u sounded patronising to working class folks like me who are not racists

I have long thought that the placement of asylum seekers in hotels was politically motivated and centred on previously ‘red wall’ areas that voted Tory in 2019 as a pro brexit vote - as a tool to keep racism alive in these areas and attempt to keep them Tory (which didn’t pay off due to the reform swing). This happened in my town and there was a constant low level of vitriol on social media about it (a Mainly working class former mining town with very low levels of ethnic diversity).

London is incredibly diverse but no rioting here at the moment and I would be surprised if Londoners rioted about this issue.

Ultimately it's the massive and increasing gap between rich and poor.

Agree with those saying it's not just government it's the liberal elite media treating large groups of people as scum. (Working classes)

I live on a Yorkshire one near bradford I see both sides but these lot are racist they really are. Extremism on both sides are wrong

But what they say isn't illegal and until it is, they are a legitimate party.

Leisure and hospitality - yes, it is generally cheaper up north. If northerners can afford to take advantage of it after their essentials are paid for 😄

Train fares - I think that depends on whereabouts in the north you are. I'm in Yorkshire, not N.E. Train fare for 40 min journey to nearest city is £15

I think there is a mixture.

There were claims that some of the groups involved in the southport trouble came in vans, but some were definitely local. Same for yesterday in Liverpool. I think it's easier to dismiss as small groups of trouble makers bussing in to areas rather than acknowledging that there are some real issues locally that need addressing.

That applies everywhere. Rent for a pretty grotty 1 bed flat is £1500 pm here and we're not in in an expensive area.