To be deeply disappointed in John Cleese

[drspouse]

I have no idea if this is typical but he just tweeted that London isn't an English city any more
What is it then pray tell? What's not English about it??

What is everyone’s point here? Should we close the doors, and have no immigration at all?

Genuinely asking. If places like London being so diverse is a problem for some, what is the solution in your eyes?

Such nonsense. When DS was at his first school it was him and 2 other kids who had English as a first language. Only 2 kids who only spoke English - and a few who spoke very little or no English.

It didn’t affect his education one jot. A friend learned English from ten years old and now has a degree in English lit.

Children starting school not speaking English become English speakers very quickly indeed. There are stats about that- I’ll dig them out when I get home.

Children all learn English when they come to school. My YR DD doesn't only rely on talking to her friends, anyway. Are you suggesting that children whose first language is English could only possibly have other children whose first language is English as friends? That's a bIt narrow.

Another point, we're so focused on London but we're forgetting this situation is happening in pockets of urban areas all over the country. And people in all those areas have the same concerns. It's not a London bubble, it's a country wide issue.

“Well my niece has been. And I presume the 2 other english speaking kids in her class have been too.”
In what way?

Maybe it’s because we brits are generally hopeless at learning other languages the assumption is made that these kids hold everyone up.

New immigrant parents are more committed to their children's education than non-immigrants.

Well that's a load of bollocks. I and all my sisters (4 of us, 2 are twins) could all read & write and knew our numbers etc before starting school at 4. In fact most kids could then. We are all big readers - as are all the people I went to school with - and always have been. My mum wasn't an immigrant. Few of my friends parents were immigrants. Grandparents may have been, but they aren't the parents, are they.

Maybe it’s because we brits are generally hopeless at learning other languages

Infuriating as it is, the fact we are an island really doesn't help. A lot of people around the land borders of Europe tend to be bilingual as a matter of course (well trilingual, since they can have English plus native tongue plus other country).

All of which said, there is Welsh ...

“Well my niece has been. And I presume the 2 other english speaking kids in her class have been too.”
In what way?

The English speaking kids were being ignored a lot. The teacher is Turkish and was speaking Turkish to the kids a lot. They weren't encouraging English as the first language in the classroom.

Well that was crap teaching and classroom management. Bad for everyone, including the EAL kids. Complain about that- not the Turkish kids.

John Cleese's university writing partner and best friend who he went on to form Python with was homosexual.
I doubt Graham Chapman (and his partner) would have put up with any 'silly' homophobia.

It's not very diverse though is it? A class of 35 kids and only 3 speak English? The rest of the school is the same - so it's not like they've all been lumped into one class - as is the whole area.

Eliza have you heard of averages or were your very committed parents not able to extend your education that far?

Only in England would it be frowned upon for a majority of its people to be British White.. as though that's wrong somehow?

You wouldn't go to China and criticize the majority of people being Chinese.. or go to Italy and moan that there are too many olive skinned Italian people and say they should be more diverse.

So why only in England...

Lol. Research Edmonton, and actually go there, then talk to me about averages. The British born percentage of the population is probably 1%. That, in my opinion, is not diverse. There is not an equal mix of cultures, all living alongside each other in harmony. Far, far, from it.

Cleese is showing what a complete idiot he is.

The first major settlers of London, and who gave it its name, were the Romans. Not exactly 'English' were they?

People who consider themselves English today are mostly descendants of Germanic tribes who came to the country much later.

So I think the question he should ask himself is 'what makes the English have any rights over London' when it has clearly been inhabited by outsiders (if that's what he's driving at) for so long?

London is a cosmopolitan city, always has been, always will be.

Wise up JC and stop showing your ignorance.

I doubt Graham Chapman (and his partner) would have put up with any 'silly' homophobia.

If you watch Cleese's "Alimony Tour", he speaks about Michael Palins experiences of giving Chapman a life in the morning with a slight tinge or prurience about the fact that a "young Indian boy" or "young Chinese boy" or "young Malay boy" would look out of the window when Palin knocked ...

“Only in England would it be frowned upon for a majority of its people to be British White.. as though that's wrong somehow?”

I’m not frowning on it. The problem is people frowning on places where it isn’t.

I completely agree with him.

There are huge issues in London that are not being addressed.

I live in Amsterdam and you are starting to see some very Xenophobic attitudes emerging from the Dutch when previously they have always been very accommodating to immigrants. The government is encouraging English language business and multinational companies, but the Dutch are becoming very fed up with rising house prices, the lack of integration of immigrants and the erosion of what they perceive to be traditional Dutch cultures and practices. Whilst the young and well educated Dutch people welcome the diversity and opportunity it presents for them, many others just see their prospects ostensibly declining due to rising populations due to immigration. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

I grew up in London and lived there until I moved to Amsterdam around 7 years ago. I see the exact same gentrification occurring here. The complainers aren’t dismissed as racist, but somehow like they aren’t educated enough to understand how this development is good for the country at large. Funnily enough they are more worried about themselves. Also sounds familiar.

It isn’t just London. This is happening here, Paris, Berlin and who knows else where.

I'm getting the distinct impression that you cannot be properly English unless you are white.
As a half educated tenement Scot who has had the cheek to live in London in the past I have long thought Cleese was an idiot.

I’m sure many people agree with him.

@dreichuplands

Nothing to do with colour, everything to do with shared values, culture and institutions.

Immigration is not to blame for rising house prices.

the fault lies with investors buying houses to speculate with and businesses like AirBnB. A fair amount of houses in Amsterdam sit empty, because of it. You will never see any immigrants or people born Dutch in them.