To not like this Idea of a new multicultural Britain

[monkeyfarm]

I suspect this probably won't go down too well but I'm just being honest as I'm interested to see if I'm the only one who feels this way?
I hate how things are changing, how I can be in a store feel like I'm in eastern europe, why are we one of the only countries that do this? why can't we take a leaf out of the book of Australia and open our doors to people who have something to contribute and not just all and sundry?
Am I on my own in feeling this way?

"I can only assume these staff are cheaper" What?! They don't have two rates of pay, one for Brits and one for immigrants.

What I don't like, by anyone/group of people/religion, are practices that discriminate.

dinky, do you know how 'tight' immigration rules are already?

What changes do you propose?

My issue is, you're talking about people who intend to abuse the system, and then you say the way to stop them is to tighten the rules. But, um ... people who're already breaking the rules won't care! You'll just penalize those who are law abiding.

I don't believe we are one of the most tolerant countries in the world, btw.

My paternal gp were invited here after the war (in a displaced people camp in Germany from the Baltic states ) - they worked hard all their lives and their son's have both contributed a lot - my Df is a dentist and my uncle a professor at uni - more than a great many born and bred British folk do in several generations - all 5 of us gc have worked hard from finishing uni and have not been a burden on the state and indeed all paid tax.

So I find your op a bit offensive - how productive are your family op?

My best friend is an immigrant. Love her American ass. And yesterday a Polish gentleman stopped in the street, put his bags down and helps disabled old me to get my bins in. I grew up in Germany, so I guess I was used to being in a foreign country and trying to get by, so I don't really see the problem here. I love the cultural shops, Indian/Chinese/Polish shops, because I can get some really nice food, you can communicate without words until someone comes along with a dictionary, it's quite fun. I advocate freedom to worship whatever you like, I don't believe Christianity was actually the first 'religion' here, and since I worship a Celtic God and an Egyptian Goddess, I guess that I'm an equal opportunities kind of 'gal'. I think people are always too busy hating when if we just tried to love and accept there would be less pain in the world any way.

The only thing to hate, is hate itself, that's what makes all the bad things happen. Racism, war, holocaust. :(

Its sad how difficult it is to debate this issue without the mudslinging and the kneejerk accusations of racism. There really is - as Cozy says - much more intelligent debate over on the Guardian site about this issue.

Primarily it is not racist to like other cultures and to be deliriously happy with a certain assimilable level of immigration, but to be perturbed at massive immigration which has reduced your native population to 45% in your capital city. I would be worried about this if it was happening to any nation - French, or Russians, or Nigerians. Because you are losing an identity, a culture from our wonderfully diverse world.

Furoshika, well where I am they dont seem to have amy British staff, I can only assume low pay or "positive" discrimination - draw your own conclusion, either is wrong.

I actually dont give a toss where their staff come from I just need them to understand my order, particularly as i'm dairy intolerant and ended up having a rough day as a result of that visit.

There really is - as Cozy says - much more intelligent debate over on the Guardian site about this issue.

Go over there then

You'd be happier, you prefer the culture and you like the language and there are more of your own "kind"

You'd love it on so many levels :)

That may be an overstatement LRD - I could tell you some of the stuff that goes on in my local council but it would be specific to my place of work and I would out myself.

I'm not for one minute saying there is anything wrong with our being a multicultural society - I have no issue with that at all, was born in London, and whilst I've been raised and now live in the South East I love the diversity of the city and would move back there like a shot given the opportunity.

I do think though, that there is an institutionalised oversensitivity and need to 'be seen to be doing' what is politically correct, rather than a genuine understanding of some of the issues involved and effort to effect real change.

I can't stand the Guardian site, it always seems to be full of bigots. But if you're happier over there ...

What is our 'native population', exactly, jean? Please do feel free to explain that one.

I would open all borders everywhere.

All the poor people would pour into the rich countries so people would have to spread out a bit more and fix the devastated lands of the poor countries etc and generally wealth and happiness would be a bit more fairly distributed.

A few years of chaos, but a happier outcome eventually.

The problem is that measures taken to stop immigration are often cruel, arbitrary, flawed, driven by political gain, or downright murderous.

dum - ok then.

Honestly ... I don't in the least want to out you but I think you may already have done so! If there's really a council this silly, they will soon be on the news. Everyone else gave up on this as a tired hoax around 2000, I thought. It has been very, very widely reported then revealed to be not true, you see. I don't disbelieve someone may be daft enough to think it's seriously a good idea, but they will very shortly have the piss ripped out of them for it.

Fuck, am I a hippy?

"I love multicultural Britain but I don?t like people coming over here with the intention of abusing the system and adding to crime rates."

Any evidence for this? I'd be interested to see if any nationality commits crimes more than the other. And it's actually incredibly difficult to 'abuse the system'. But again, if you can provide evidence (statistics, not DM links) I would like to see them.

'What is our 'native population', exactly, jean?'

And since you mention the French and the Russians as 'nations', could you clarify whether ' the French' include the Basques, the Corsicans, the population of Alsace, the Bretons, and the Algerians (whose country was regarded as a region of France until the 1960s)? And you do know that Russia is a multiethnic state, don't you?

smacks self around head for getting sucked into this cretinous nonsense

LRD - I didn't mean literally the 'Winter Festival' thing - was just using that as an example of OTT political correctness.

It's called globalisation and it shakes up the sedentary.

Hully,All the poor people would pour into the rich countries so people would have to spread out a bit more

Its already happened!

Oh, I'm with you now. It did sound bizarre.

I think the reason it's OTT is it's not real, though. It gives a skewed picture because everyone knows that is a made-up story.

I'm sure there is real OTT political correctness somewhere, perhaps.

I think it's unfair that there can be no rational debate on this subject without offence and accusations of racism being bandied about. I dont care much for the old "benefits stealing scrounging forriner" sterotypes. my mother was an immigrant forty odd years ago, ive also spent over half my life abroad. But realistically, there is a massive housing shortage in both sectors, much strain on already underfunded schooling and NHS, and I dont think such a massive influx of immigration is wise for that reason alone. It's common sense, not politics.

Actually I dont agree with posters who disagree with the main mumsnet opinion being directed off to other sites how dull would this site be if we all agreed.

We are not 14 we can listen to other peoples opinion and say "I dont agree for x, y or z reason" or perhaps just not respond if its really a problem.

As far as I was aware we live in a democracy where on the whole we are allowed to express our opinions as long as you are not advocating doing any physical harm.

My son was rather shocked yesterday when he came home from school as his black and asian friends had been given detention for being racially abusive to each other, of course he was unaware (because it gets no publicity) that racism isnt only a white thing.

Thanks Loops

Jean can we at least get past this frankly idiotic misconception that only 45% of people in London are white? IT'S NOT TRUE. It was all a misunderstanding by another charming, articulate, literate bigot on another thread.

I think the "winter festival" thing was the Eden Project wasnt it, I dont know if it was true or not.