to be shocked that less than half of people in London are white

[Ilovecoffeeandchocolate]

I was reading the article below and was shocked to see how much this country especially London has changed over the last ten years and feel concerned that immigration is too high for what is an already overcrowded island especially in the south east!

www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/dec/11/census-2011-religion-race-education?intcmp=239

Good. Glad that is all cleared up. I am not sure where Clacton is but suspect near Essex.

I don't think integration is about one culture subsuming another, which is presumably what racists who want integration want. I think your culture and language of origin are very important to your sense of identity and add another dimension of interest to your life.

What I mean by integration is learning the language and respecting the legal and societal norms of your country of choice, as opposed to your country of origin. Which in this country I think would have to include commitment not to discriminate on grounds of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.

With that in mind, I don't see how for eg inviting sharia courts to play a greater role (as Rowan Williams argued) is a happy idea. I think that quite understandably causes a lot of people anxiety, and that is another example of the negative consequences of increased immigration.

Hahaha - so true about Clacton!

I am not sure where Clacton is but suspect near Essex - whaaaat??
you don't know the famous song 'The last train to clacton'?

it's abroad- in east angular

Clacton is crammed to the gills with working class people from Romford and Ilford and Dagenham, who have never quite got over the shock of having black people and Asians arriving in 1970. They are your classic 'white flight'.

full of asylum seekers too.

Agree with MrsDV about language. Totally.

"There are many people in the UK who arrived clandestinely, of whom UKBA are unaware. They are not subject to English language testing. " This is true spero but I was specifically addressing the wrong assertion by sweetkitty in alluding that Nigerian kids struggle at school as English is not their first language which is not true. Even for those who came here by clandestine means as you put it can speak English.

Nigeria is a former British colony and English is the most widely spoken language there.

I am really confused about where Clacton is now, but I am not going to spoil the mystery by googling. I shall imagine it as my safe haven when I am old and doddery and turn into a complete racist, like my dear old dad.

Santandme - yes, I cannot think of a single African client who has needed an interpreter in a family court, it is mainly people from India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghnistan. We have big problems because there is a very limited pool of Farsi interpreters and many are known to the communities and parties sometimes object because they say Mr so and so is a good friend of the other side. It can be a nightmare.

I agree with MrsDeV - I don't see how you can fight for your child if you can't speak English, and some children need fighting for.

There used to be free language classes in Lambeth but I am guessing that those will have been one of the first things to go in the austerity measures.

Just heard very interesting interview with Sadiq Khan on the Today programme about Labour's one nation integration policy. It is interesting, if unnerving to find that for once I am entirely in agreement with the Labour party. The issue of racial segregation in primary schools is particularly worrying: if this were imposed by the State we would be world pariahs.

So if I am a racist, at least the Labour Party are keeping me company.