To be worried about holidaying in England this summer?

[Peregrane]

As a family using foreign languages with our children, that is. Brexit is not shaping up to be pretty, and with attitudes hardening among hardcore leavers, Farage's brand new Brexit party clocking up 100 000 members in days etc, I am genuinely worried about being abused in public.

For context, I am British but we live abroad; I use my first language with my children which is not English, and DH uses yet another language. We speak in English with each other and the DC have a mostly passive knowledge of it. Even if they were fluent in English I would prefer not to change our family language policies while on vacation anywhere.

We normally holiday in the UK every year. I love the country, and as a naturalised citizen I proudly swore to uphold its values and institutions. I attended a Russel Group university on private scholarships, have had good jobs, only used the NHS for the odd GP visit while I lived there, while (very happily) contributing social security and taxes, so my balance with the system is heavily in the positive. I'd personally feel quite happy to tell any xenophobe who'd pick on us while spending our money in support of the UK economy to fuck off (provided it's reasonably safe to do so), but I do not want to expose my children to unpleasant scenes, let alone to feeling threatened.

For anyone who wants to come in and accuse me of trolling or paranoia: it is always less visible to members of a majority what minorities being picked on go through. There are people hating "foreigners" in every country, it's not specific to the UK or England either. To the contrary, I always found the UK to be one of the most wonderfully tolerant and welcoming countries I've lived in. But Brexit - the campaign leading up to it, and all that has gone down since - seems to be undoing this legacy, and people who might previously have kept their antipathy to themselves can now feel emboldened to let it loose.

I don't necessarily want to stir up a hornets' nest with this post; but I need to fix our vacation plans and I am genuinely very torn about this!

Come to Scotland - we welcome everyone (weather can be in issue, mind, lol)

I think it depends hugely on where you're planning to go - in London you'll completely blend in, but if you choose to holiday on Canvey Island you might encounter problems. I'd say any large, remain-voting city or very touristy area (e.g. Cornwall) will be fine.

I'm so sorry this is even a consideration though, and am ashamed that people are considering this when coming to Britain.

annie I know people who have had negative comments said to them since Brexit raised its head. It has I think given permission to the racists and xenophobes to express their views.

I would have thought you would be fine - have French husband and have lived in a strong leave area - never any issues. Very strong views and abuse from both sides of Brexit towards each other but I've never had Brexit discussed in public other than on day of vote or in an academic manner - only abuse I've seen is people arguing online but its very 50-50 to abuse.

You're being paranoid. There are nasty people in every country, but statistics don't support your idea that Britain is more racist than other countries in Europe nor globally, quite the opposite. There are and always have been plenty of people with non-British accents in the UK. I don't know where you have this idea that people are roaming around abusing others constantly, but it isn't the case. People go about their business and are generally just as friendly or unfriendly regardless of where a tourist (or resident with an accent) might be from.

Contrary to what MN would have you believe, voting to leave the EU does not equal a hatred of foreigners. I think you are worrying about something which is very unlikely to happen. Obviously I can't guarantee that you won't ever meet a nasty person here, but you could just as easily meet one where you live or on holiday somewhere else. Just as Brits on holiday abroad sometimes run into an arsehole.

Come to Scotland - we welcome everyone (weather can be in issue, mind, lol

This

You are being ridiculous. I work in hospitality in Devon and we love visitors, no matter what language they speak.

I think you are unlikely to encounter any problems.

I can't imagine that anywhere you'd want to go on holiday would have idiots like this all over the place, but I'll admit to probably being a bit oblivious.

What a shame people feel like this.

YANBU I got told to fuck off for being an English Emmet in Cornwall once, for being English by an Irishman in Wales and for being English in California (before anyone starts neither was in any way invited or provoked - I was minding my own business).

Not sure it if is any better or any worse than it was but best to avoid if you are worried.

I didn't go to a fancy Russell group University though.

Your kids will quickly learn essential words like ice cream and chips. Teach them please, thank you and excuse me. Carry on as usual in multilingual style. They will be fine. Bring a phrase book in case they want look anything up. Have lovely time.

I don't know what you've been reading but the U.K. hasn't suddenly transformed into some racist hell hole. It's not a racism free utopia (where is?) but you are extremely unlikely to encounter any issues on a holiday here.

I work in a touristy area and walk past people of all colours speaking a variety of languages ever single day. No one has any issues.

Well, thank you for the balanced responses so far! :)

Why holiday in the UK? 1. I love the country and (before Brexit) have felt completely at home there. It's the place where I've lived the longest and I identify with its values. It's like going home - one that has now become a complicated, bittersweet feeling. 2. Most of my closest friends still live there, same for my husband. 3. It is a beautiful place, although public transport is not as great as some alternatives we'd have - we don't drive if we can avoid it.

Where would we go? Likely areas would include the south coast, as close to nature as possible while still reachable by public transport within reason. So this might well include leave voting areas. With the children, I am not looking for a big city location.

Eh? You think that citizens of the U.K. are going to run at you with a pitchfork if you and your family have a Spanish/French/German/whatever accent? If you’re that paranoid and highly strung maybe you should not go on holiday.
As part of any normal working day, travelling to work, and shopping I probably encounter 30-40 nationalities if I was to stop and count them, but I don’t. Because I don’t see people as accents or nationalities. Along with my colleagues and Contemporaries.
Get. Over. Yourself.

Don't come to the UK. We are all hate people who speak in a foreign language. We are all vile and racist and stupid too.

I speak French to my son and I've yet to have a problem in London about it. Thus said there are twats everywhere.

I would say it depends where you go, what you are doing and what colour you are.

In a big city or a touristy place you will have no problems. However it's the subtle and unexpected stuff that gets to you - but that can happen anywhere.

I had a lovely holiday in Italy with my DF and we went to the same restuarant every night where the owner was so nice to us. Until it was spoilt on the last night by him saying he felt sorry for us having to live in Italy were there were those Muslims everywhere which was why he had been so nice! - so unexpected racism happens all the time, wherever you go.

We've stayed in Bath and Devon on holiday many times with my French husband and always been made very welcome.

I can't vouch for if say you're ethnic minorities, of course, but there wasn't any sign of anything to indicate tourists would be made anything other than very welcome. Certainly around Devon tourism is a big income stream / source of employment so its in their own interests too but they also just seemed really nice people.

You are being ridiculous. Holidaying here will not be any different this Summer to any other year.

I voted Leave but this has bugger all to do with tourists!

If you arrive with a massive chip on your shoulder though people might just react to you being hysterical.

Yet another Brexit thread. Come to Scotland. We're friendly and don't care whose money we're taking. Go to Glasgow and ask the way to a tourist attraction. They'll insist on taking you there and you won't be able to stop them talking.

Bonkers, this is a beautiful, multicultural and tolerant welcoming country. Absolutely no reason for you not to visit! Brexit is a devisive political issue yes, but that’s all really, you would have to be quite unlucky indeed to come across some shouty foaming xenophobe, yes of course they exist, but they do in every country, and I can promise you, they are no more prevalent here than anywhere else in europe (in fact I would suggest much less so).

Come to britain OP.

^ meant to say ENGLAND ^

Brexit was about leaving the political institution. We have always welcomed visitors, workers and migrants from countries all over the world not just Europe even whilst in the EU.
Tourists are welcomed ( as much as the service industry in the U.K. welcomes anyone). You’ll be one of many that are visiting just like every other year.
I asked the question “ which country isn’t racist” on here the other week and no one could think of any that weren’t. It’s only been an issue because the newspapers love making Brexit a racist drama rather than a sensible debate about vias and borders

Well said sheworeblue