to feel that after living here for twenty years that i am no longer really welcome

[xmasadsboohiss]

I am from another European country and have lived here virtually all my adult life. I have worked for all of that time apart from a couple of months on the dole and on maternity leave. I will never consider myself British although I broadly share the values of the majority of people in this country. Over the last few months as Nigel Farage has been getting more and more air time I am feeling increasingly alienated and almost unwelcome - presumably Mr Farage's solution would be that I should pack my bags and go. If only life in the real world were quite so straightforward.

April - I think you partly touch on why I feel uncomfortable. If you lived in Australia or France or the US for twenty years I can almost guarantee that you would still feel proud to be British. I feel proud of my nationality and that won't ever change - it doesn't mean I despise Britain or the British way of life. But I feel that the atmosphere NF (what a coincidence that he has those initials!) creates makes it tricky for me to voice these opinions.

Understandably, my own view is that immigration is good for this country - and always has been.

They can't send everybody who is not 100% British home, I'd be paying all the countries debts off practically on my own! Courtesy of an elderly family historian, I'm British as far back as 1700 - though how they can be sure of this I have no idea!

And I agree we can't have open borders. How would that work?

Threetimes - I'm not entirely sure why expressing an opinion counts as 'attention seeking' but that aside I know that discussion of immigration controls is not about me personally obviously. But aside from the minor detail that it could easily have been 'about me' twenty years ago if the same controversy was whirling around then, it creates a fundamental feeling of 'them' and 'us' in the country. And I for one do not think that can be good for anyone.

One of my facebook friends (from another forum) told Farage to 'fuck off, you racist twat' yesterday.

AndI It is just not possible to discuss population numbers in a dispassionate way without racism creeping in. It can't be done. Complete non-starter. Far better to focus on housing and school-building and law and order.

Havant mentioned the 50s. is a charming 1955 Pathe news reel entitled 'Our Jamaican Problem' It shows very clearly that there was no 'golden era' just saturation levels of racism.

(Lots more on Pathe's new youtube channel, if anyone is interested in the myth of the golden era)

Farage doesn't speak for me either.

I completely understand how the increased publicity he is receiving makes you feel the way you do. Ian Duncan Smith, David Cameron et al make me feel very unwelcome in the UK.

Threetimesfive - putting a nice, passive aggressive smiley face after a comment doesn't stop it being any less insulting

The extent of the immigration we have had in past decade has now been accepted as too much too soon by all the big parties.

Its not good for hospitals, schools, communities and so on. Whatever nationality you are, you need a doctor, you need a hospital your children need school.

My SIL is very happy and proud of her heritage and has no problem with saying that and she has not lost her accent and is very obviously polish in fact a few friends are and none of them feel embarrassed or ashamed or anything, they all simply think the gov is barmy.

If you had said where you live, people were being nasty etc, I could understand more why you feel singled out, but honestly, I really do not think you should take this personally. All the main parties will be trying to be seen to do something about immigration, its not personal .

BTW I had some philipino student staying with me, they explained how they got into the States to live and how they had to go there bit by bit as a family and some didn't get in, they live in Canada.

My sister waited years to get a visa to Australia...its NOT personal, most countries do exercise control over their borders! So please, do not be upset.

Maybe he should tell all his older voters that if it wasn't for immigration their pensions wouldn't be paid in the future. We had an ageing population. We've become much more balanced now, so there will actually be enough people paying into the system to support future pension payments.

biwi "Threetimesfive - putting a nice, passive aggressive smiley face after a comment doesn't stop it being any less insulting"

Insulting? Wow, touchy.

Just another voice to the general 'Farage is an idiot' group. Loved on the news last night a UKIP guy being grilled over Farage's German wife (whom he employs) and his own Australian wife who 'does not have a British job'.

And try asking a few doctors what they think the problem is with the NHS at the moment. See if immigration makes it into the top 5.

But aside from the minor detail that it could easily have been 'about me' twenty years ago if the same controversy was whirling around then

No. Maybe to some truely hard line NF yes, but they will always exist and in the minority.

20 years ago, roughly when SIL came over there was nothing like the numbers of people emigrating now. So you cannot compare.

Labour said about 4 thousand people would come here, does anyone really think if 4 thousand did come, people would even be discussing immigration?

People discuss it because it has been a huge impact.

Farage doesn't speak for me either, nor for any of my friends and family. He's an idiot.

AndI Can't you see that it is much too late for that particular debate anyway (Labour getting their numbers wrong re Polish influx etc)? It has happened.

The EU is not going to shrink (even if you think that is desirable). We are not going to leave the EU (even if you think that is desirable). So what is the practical point in that line of discussion? What it actually achieves is bad feeling.

(And see my Pathe link above for an insight into how you sound)

It was an insulting thing to say to the OP, Threetimes. And it worries me that you can't see that.

Even if you think 'most people don't feel that way' - when pretty much everything you read about a certain group is negative, or twisted in some way it's very easy to worry how many people buy into it.

I had to stop working last year due to a degenerative condition that leaves me bedbound a lot of the time. So when someone goes into a scrounging, lazy liars that get too many benefits rant it feels very personal.

Even if you think 'most people don't feel that way' - when pretty much everything you read about a certain group is negative, or twisted in some way it's very easy to worry how many people buy into it.

I had to stop working last year due to a degenerative condition that leaves me bedbound a lot of the time. So when someone goes into a scrounging, lazy liars that get too many benefits rant it feels very personal.

Do you really care what N Farage thinks? Neither do most people in the UK.

What Irian said. UKIP are best ignored.

Yabu, as you are basing your unease on the opinion of an unpopular minority party in the UK and obviously assuming pubic perception agrees with him. You have been settled and welcomed so has anything changed in the people you know and work with or is it just Nigel and his merry men?

Farage is a goady prat and no one who matters shares his opinions. I don't know you but you are not only welcome you are home, this is your place. Just hang on while I put the kettle on :)

Nigel Farage and his bunch of clowns don't speak for me, my family or anyone who is capable of rational thought.