I’m a born and bred Londoner who has lived here for 50 years. I think JC is on to something really important, but we’re all so indoctrinated with the “diversity is our strength” mantra (I notice that this was the first thing the useless Sadie Khan said in response, it’s his go-to phrase for ANY problem that arises in the city) that his comments are immediately dismissed as racist which they most definitely aren’t. Frankly I think we need to question that mantra much more, but for some people it is now a kind of religion and you can be “excommunicated” for suggesting that you don’t 100% believe in it.
Of course London has long been an open and international city but things have changed dramatically over the last 20 years, and not for the better. I do not feel as if this is a fabulously integrated community any more - in fact my area, and our local school, really lacks a sense of community at all these days.
As more and more people flood in from all over the world it is inevitable that a culture is watered down. I think this is what JC is getting at, and it’s an important point. There is such a thing as English culture, and many parts of that culture are good and important, and in London I sometimes feel that it is slipping away. Maybe that doesn’t matter to people any more, but once gone it is lost forever, and that makes me feel pretty sad.