Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Reform UK neck and neck with Labour?

1000 replies

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 11:09

Absolutely shocked to read that in a poll Reform UK are neck and neck with Labour...

About 25% polling share for Reform and Labour.

I thought Blair was the worst PM ever, but Starmer seems to be giving him a run for his money.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
28
BIossomtoes · 10/01/2025 22:35

Flustration · 10/01/2025 22:31

You are completely entitled to hold that view. Very few people believe in completely open borders and we all have to draw that line somewhere.

Most countries do accept refugees. Poorer countries are actually more likely to accept them (mostly for geographical reasons)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_by_refugee_population

The UK has a long history of reticence towards refugees (newspaper clipping is from the Daily Mail, 1938)

I hope Mr Metcalfe hung his head in shame seven years later when the camps were liberated.

PandoraSox · 10/01/2025 22:37

If people are truly concerned about these "no go" areas, why don't they want to name them? Why don't they want other people to know about them?

Very odd.

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:38

BIossomtoes · 10/01/2025 22:30

Whose is then? This country has always offered refuge to displaced people, what’s changed?

The asylum laws were originally brought in to allow asylum seekers from Communist East Europe. They weren't meant to allow millions of Africans and Asians to move to Europe for a better life.

No one would care if a few hundred asylum seekers came every year. However we don't want tens of thousands of asylum seekers each year.

Asylum should also be temporary... ten years ago Europe accepted millions of Syrians fleeing President Assad. Assad has left Syria, should these asylum seekers not be going back to Syria now?

OP posts:
cardibach · 10/01/2025 22:38

lifeturnsonadime · 10/01/2025 22:31

I don’t need to name the area for you to address my points.

you know that.

I can’t be bothers to continue. You’re so convinced in your righteousness you refuse to see the harm you do to community adhesion.

You d8 though. Because if you won’t say where it is I can’t find out what it’s like. You could be making it all up

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:40

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:38

The asylum laws were originally brought in to allow asylum seekers from Communist East Europe. They weren't meant to allow millions of Africans and Asians to move to Europe for a better life.

No one would care if a few hundred asylum seekers came every year. However we don't want tens of thousands of asylum seekers each year.

Asylum should also be temporary... ten years ago Europe accepted millions of Syrians fleeing President Assad. Assad has left Syria, should these asylum seekers not be going back to Syria now?

What do u think of expats or British people living in other countries? Is that acceptable?

noblegiraffe · 10/01/2025 22:41

Are people confusing 'dodgy areas' with 'no go areas'?

There are certain parts of every city and town I've lived in which are 'dodgy' and I wouldn't be comfortable walking through. That doesn't make them a no-go area though.

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:42

PandoraSox · 10/01/2025 22:37

If people are truly concerned about these "no go" areas, why don't they want to name them? Why don't they want other people to know about them?

Very odd.

I'm absolutely loving this discussion!

90% of people here would admit there are "no go" areas in the UK. You keeping on saying that there are none shows how out of touch your side of the argument is.

The MP Paul Scully said there are "no go" areas. Was he making that up?

OP posts:
PandoraSox · 10/01/2025 22:44

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:42

I'm absolutely loving this discussion!

90% of people here would admit there are "no go" areas in the UK. You keeping on saying that there are none shows how out of touch your side of the argument is.

The MP Paul Scully said there are "no go" areas. Was he making that up?

Did he specify the areas?

BIossomtoes · 10/01/2025 22:44

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:38

The asylum laws were originally brought in to allow asylum seekers from Communist East Europe. They weren't meant to allow millions of Africans and Asians to move to Europe for a better life.

No one would care if a few hundred asylum seekers came every year. However we don't want tens of thousands of asylum seekers each year.

Asylum should also be temporary... ten years ago Europe accepted millions of Syrians fleeing President Assad. Assad has left Syria, should these asylum seekers not be going back to Syria now?

It doesn’t matter why the asylum laws were introduced. It’s a different world now. Climate change means that swathes of the world will become uninhabitable, is the rest of the world just going to let millions of people die? Why should asylum be temporary? We allow people to settle, work, make homes and build lives and then kick them out? Seriously?

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:45

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:40

What do u think of expats or British people living in other countries? Is that acceptable?

I work abroad. I don't claim benefits or force my culture on locals.

OP posts:
NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:45

PandoraSox · 10/01/2025 22:44

Did he specify the areas?

Do you know how to use Google?

OP posts:
Namechangedforthissss2011 · 10/01/2025 22:45

PandoraSox · 10/01/2025 22:17

Why is it no one claiming there are "no go" areas for white people in the UK is willing to specify exactly where these are areas are?

I'm perfectly willing.

Named changed for this, don't want it linked to my other posts.

The area I'm talking about it an Asian/Muslim (predominantly Pakistani) area called Everton in Leicester. I lived there for two months in 2011. I'm a white woman, was 21 at the time.

Well I guess it depends how one describes a 'no go', right? True, I wasn't beaten up, raped or killed. But.

I was spat at, sneered at, called a whore, a slag, a slut various times in the middle of the day, just going about my business. Pushed by a woman in a supermarket for daring to 'look at her husband' (I was 21, he was in his 70s, I certainly didn't 'look' at him). Asked 'how much per hour' in the street. Propositioned in various (unpleasant) terms. I was young and a bit naive, so when I arrived, an Asian guy helped me carry my bags into the house. Next thing I knew (was told by a neighbor) I was 'fucking him' and all the neighborhood apparently. Had my underwear stolen off a garden line where it was drying. That's not all, but enough.

Not that it matters at all, but for the sake of the argument, I wasn't wearing any sort of provocative/revealing clothing. I was a student, usually in skinny jeans, tshirt and converse. Asian girls/women weren't treated this way. I was. Why?

Obviously, I moved out of there as quickly as I could.

Were all the people there like that? Of course not. But many women were obviously hostile and many men were predatory.

Anyway, that's my experience of a 'no go' area. 'No go' or not, I certainly won't be rushing to return. I live in Wales now, in a small market town. I can wear whatever I want and go about at all times, and I'm not routinely called a whore or spat at just for existing, being white and not covering up head to toe. Funny that.

Another (unrelated) thing. What stroke me as funny is this (a couple of examples, there were more).

One guy. 26 at the time. Pakistani. Arranged marriage in his own country, brought his wife here, already had 3 children, 4th on the way. She didn't speak English and didn't work, he worked at the fast food chain. How did they support themselves? Doesn't take a genius to guess.

Another one (similar age), wasn't married at the time. Planned to go back to his country asap to do so. Wanted 'a traditional girl' and 'a big family'. He worked at the supermarket.

And more.

PickleBranst · 10/01/2025 22:47

I suspect that for young people it all feels a bit hopeless. Reform probably offers them some optimism and hope.

Labour and the Tories seem broken.

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:47

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:45

I work abroad. I don't claim benefits or force my culture on locals.

Nor do a lot of people who made their home the UK, why are you speical to be acceptable to live in other countires but not acceptable for others to live here.

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:50

We have some lovely Ukrainan families at my daughters school, I wouldn't dream of assuming I am more superior to experience the feeling of freedom and away from the horror of war just because of the luck of living in the UK.

ilovesooty · 10/01/2025 22:51

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:45

Do you know how to use Google?

You could use it to explore the practicality of claiming asylum in Japan and "Korea".

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:52

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:47

Nor do a lot of people who made their home the UK, why are you speical to be acceptable to live in other countires but not acceptable for others to live here.

You really think someone coming to the UK to work in a car wash/ takeaway/ Uber driver is a great benefit to the UK?

OP posts:
dingledangledoos · 10/01/2025 22:52

@NeatDog Paul Scully has apologised and clarified:

MP Paul Scully sorry for 'no-go' areas comment www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-68412010

Gtfto2024 · 10/01/2025 22:52

PickleBranst · 10/01/2025 22:47

I suspect that for young people it all feels a bit hopeless. Reform probably offers them some optimism and hope.

Labour and the Tories seem broken.

It's the old people I know that support Reform, the youngsters think they are a joke.

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:54

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:50

We have some lovely Ukrainan families at my daughters school, I wouldn't dream of assuming I am more superior to experience the feeling of freedom and away from the horror of war just because of the luck of living in the UK.

Ukraine is a bug country.... the war really only impacts the Eastern bits...

It's absolutely bizarre that we have accepted so many Ukrainians.

When your daughters can't get a house remember this conversation.

OP posts:
OneAmberFinch · 10/01/2025 22:55

chicken2015 · 10/01/2025 22:47

Nor do a lot of people who made their home the UK, why are you speical to be acceptable to live in other countires but not acceptable for others to live here.

It's incredibly clear that she's saying it's unacceptable for others to live here indefinitely, while financially relying on the state, after the original reason for seeking asylum is no longer present.

I live in the UK as an "expat" style high income earner and love it here and have made it my home, but I'll always feel I'm here on licence - and that's fine. I also think it's entirely reasonable for people to object to my being here even as a high skilled immigrant - if I weren't, my 6-figure job would be being done by a British person! I'd like to think I'm doing a good job of integrating as well as contributing financially but I'm a guest here and overall the correct attitude is "gratitude".

BIossomtoes · 10/01/2025 22:55

NeatDog · 10/01/2025 22:52

You really think someone coming to the UK to work in a car wash/ takeaway/ Uber driver is a great benefit to the UK?

How much of a benefit are you to the country where you work? Would it miss you if you left? Don’t we need uber drivers and takeaway deliveries? We certainly need cleaners and care workers who are largely immigrants.

Rummly · 10/01/2025 22:56

Just as an historical aside, there was a time and circumstance when the left hated refugees, in the form of the Vietnamese boat people who were fleeing communist oppression.

’Right thinking’ socialists in the UK and elsewhere in the West called the boat people scum and traitors.

Fellow travellers didn’t care much for refugees from Eastern Europe either, who’d managed to get through the ‘anti-fascist protection barrier’.

The left tends to grade refugees’ virtuousness and need by whether they’re turning their backs on communism or not.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is not accepting new messages.
Swipe left for the next trending thread