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

Do you live in London OP?

"Are you saying that rate of British immigrants to Britain is too high?"

Clearly the rate of British immigration to Britain is too high. I might start spreading British-hating propaganda to see if I can get some really stupid people to be angry with themselves and campaign for themselves to be sent home.

MrsDeVere

Yes OP but net migration has fallen too. Less people emigrating here and more people leaving to go elsewhere.

and two million britons have left in ten years

plus 1.58 million foreign nationals left.

so that's, erm, how many, roughly, leaving in the same period that these people arrived?

about 3.5 million going and 3.8 million coming

so a net gain of what? 300,000?

If my maths is right

OH DEAR GOD, WE'RE GOING TO SINK. SOMEONE PASS ME A LIFEJACKET, THE UK IS SINKING BENEATH THE WAVES UNDER THE WEIGHT OF 300,000 PEOPLE...

OP I see you are not letting the small matter of the actual facts get in the way of your dodgy attitudes?

ah right. thanks for clarifying kungfu. i started to doubt myself there!

What baubles said. People move. Maybe a thousand years ago, after the Norman Conquest, someone would be asking 'aibu to be shocked that less than half of people in Hastings are Anglo-Saxons?'
I was born in London to immigrant parents. I have a British passport. I like talking about the weather, queueing, and the odd box of M&S biscuits at Christmas. I can be British without having the bloodline.

Are you white though?

No amount of queuing and morris dancing will convince the OP otherwise.

I'm staring at the DSs wondering whether they can really, truly be described as white, given the faint, olivey, not-quite-English tinge that has managed to survive three generations of inter-breeding with proper English people.

How long does it take to breed out not-quite-Britishness?

Is there hope for the next generation?

[clutches head in horror]

Well, OP, just to wind you up some more, 20% of the pupils in my DC's school are from immigrant families from Eastern Europe. They are all white, and mostly blonde.

Actually, unless you can point me to a more detailed statistic the only reference I can find to race re London is "45% describing themselves as white British. ". Which doesn't necessarily translate as "less than half the people in London are white" as there are loads of categories of white people in addition to 'British'. afaik the cencus asked about other white origins.

But the main point is that being 'not white' is hardly a cause for shock, is it? Really? Two thirds of my household are not white, and I'm not panicking!

You might have views on immigration, but why confude this with race?

I love multi cultural London. My DC is growing up oblivious to colour which is wonderful!

OP, I'm not sure whether your problem is with immigration or non-white people. Maybe it's with both?

Either way, have a .

Mrsdv are they coming over here and eating your cheese? It must be stopped!

"No amount of queuing and morris dancing will convince the OP otherwise. "

[snort]

What about some cheese-rolling or cow-tipping?

I am shocked that fewer than half of London residents would describe themselves as white British considering that the rest of the country it is 86% (91% in 2001), it would be interesting to see what it was 30/40 years ago. London has changed dramatically in my dd school English only 8 out of 30 pupils has English as a first language.

I don't feel that my post was racist at all, I'm also in the 55% who would not describe themselves as white British.

I used to live in an area of London I would say was 90% non white. Even in the four years I lived there there was a massive influx of people mostly from African countries such as Nigeria. It caused a lot of problems particularly in the NHS. There just weren't the resources in the area to cope with demand. At the GPs you had to queue from 7.30am to get an appointment even then you were lucky. The midwives and health visitors were stretched to breaking point as well. I believe the local schools were not coping well either and didn't have th extra support in place for a lot of children whose first language wasn't English.

I think a mass influx like this leads to resentment amongst the already settled population and many locals were moving from the area.

I do think we as a country need immigration but it needs to be controlled, if our
Public services are at breaking point and housing is in so short supply it seems mad to be encouraging more people to move here.

And the prize for the most spectacular drip-feed in MN history goes to.....

I'm not surprised about the White British statistic for London. I live in a borough where around half of the population (inc DH) were born outside the UK. DH is North African and I never quite know what box we should tick for him.

We have thought twice about moving outside of London because in London being a mixed culture family is usual and easy I genuinely don't know about elsewhere.

And although everyone in this house fills out "White British" on those form, I recently discovered (how I only recently discovered this I don't know - I always laughed at DH when he was unsure and told him of course he was White British) that not all of us are in fact White British. Or only white British. Four of us have dual nationality.

But we're all white (just) so that will statistically reassure the OP.

But why are you shocked OP, have you never visited London?

Hornsey Girls Mrs DeVere?