to be getting a bit shocked at how much the BNP seem to have moved up?

[tweetymum]

... in this election? Am watching the results, and am currently feeling quite shocked that the last 2 results have seen the BNP up a fair bit.

AIBU to be feeling a bit ?

Was an immigrant to the UK BTW, have left now as I was finding the whole in your face immigrant hate too much to take. Still have my citizenship (well, I paid a lot of money and worked my ass off for it).

I wouldnt know he died before I got to know him.

I probably deserved it being a racist xenophobe.

Thankyou Mme Lindt (weak)

I think isolation between the various communities is also an issue as there is always a fear of "the other".

You can see why the BNP went for Barking and Dagenham an area where traditional heavy industry (car building) is in decline. Rising unemployment probably leading to a strain on local services and a decline in the wealth circulating in the area means that for some people in this area things probably were getting worse. When you feel trapped in a bad situation its often easier to look for a scapegoat than blame a change in the economic mix of the country etc.

If there is another group of people who you feel separate from then it becomes easy to focus on them especially if you perceive them as different or changing things.

I am conscious being in a cross cultural cross religious relationship (british christian and north african muslim) that there are still quite a few misconceptions and barriers between various communities that can only be broken down by communication and familiarity with each other.

The BNP disgust me but I can completely appreciate what NotNick was trying to say. It IS incredibly intimidating living in an area in which you are one of very few 'english'. I say this not as a racist, but from experience. Many immigrants are incredibly valuable and work extremely hard. Many immigrants do come here and abuse the country and our system because they are able to and it's easy for them to, the same is true for many English people. I just hope for a government that can bring back control to the immigration system and our economy without being extremist.

Who said anything about being white? You don't have to be white to be English...

i come from that town, and i know what nickchick is talking about, its not just people talking in their own language - that doesn't aptly describe it, its intimidating - whether it is meant to be - i dont know, its a bit like teenagers in hoodies arn't all bad and all that ...

the market was a terrible mistake by the council, they ruined it. it was one of the largest markets in the country i think - i was dragged round it as a kid - it seemed so endless that i now have an aversion to shopping! i digress... the people see a market ruined - theonly stalls left selling asian goods. they blame the asians not the council - when in fact it was the council

people see jobless people speaking in foreign tongues - bit rough looking, they feel intimidated. they blame the foreign speaking jobless, not government policy.

the town is segregated,(ghettos?) not a lot do you see an asian face on an old council estate, becuase these are tradionally populated by the white underclass.

if an asian woman came to a park in one of these areas, i am sure nickschick would agree that she might indeed see the same yob, thug, weapon weilding nutcases.

if i understand nickschick correctly, she is trying to give an indication of why people would vote for the BNP.

Every white person i talk to in Oldham without exception - i can't think of ONE ( the only one was my mother and she's dead), is racist - usually islamaphobia.

The people blame the people. they dont blame govt policy, they dont blame council inadequacy.

Ok. I am seeing it from the other side.

I live near Geneva. When I go into town, in certain areas of town anyway, I am sometimes intimidated.

Many Swiss people are quite racist. They tell stories about the Albanians, the gypsies or whatever nationality they have decided on this week.

There are groups of Algerians who hang around some areas, I do feel uneasy walking past them. My French is not great. I cannot understand what they are saying. Perhaps they are saying, "Hmm, that woman has a really big arse" or "She has pretty eyes". I don't know because I don't understand.

Well I might just get the difference between those two examples, but you get the picture.

So here I am in Geneva in a French speaking area. It is up to me to learn French so that I can understand and feel more confident when walking through these areas of town.

Some people are not bothered by not understanding the language of those around them. Some get paranoid or upset, that they are talking about one.

It does not mean they are racist. Just unsure of themselves.

The2ndcoming
Why should you doubt Nick's story about Easter? Why would she lie about something like that?

Nikkisbump, no one is disputing that it can be intimidating living in an area where you feel in the minority and no one is disputing the issues of immigration. But how can people merely talking to each other be intimidating?

My point was, and still is, is that Notnick has focused all her energy on unassuming points.

It just seems a very strange post.

I'm not sure what notnick is trying to get across. It's almost like she has scared herself by over-analysing people who merely happen to be 'different'.

Thanks Custy that is what I was saying - I dont blame it on people as such its been very badly managed from the outset and this is how the 'them and us' thing has evolved.

I know im not racist I have friends from all cultures hell one of my friends is a man city supporter .

A man city supporter?

That is a Step Too Far.

city is the onlymanchester team

united is in salford

and they are twats

Sorry to hear about not growing up with your Dad, you might have seen that people are essentially the same the world over, whatever their colour & background.

"Just unsure of themselves." And as someone else pointed above, so easy to take it all on others who are different. In Oldham on immigrants, some gated middle class enclave in Wandsworth on the white 'chavs' outside their gates. And mistrust gets perpetuated.

Nooo Cristina tis ok about my Dad I didnt really get to know him - him and my mum had a mega fall out that even when she died wasnt resolved.

I'm off to bed now as we're up early tomorrow to drive to Derbyshire. Never been there before.

nites Cristina.

I think it can be intimidating being surrounded by people talking different languages in groups because the emphasis in other languages is different; because the sounds of other languages are sometimes harsher than ENglish (sometimes more melodic) - and because we don't understand what they are actually saying, we only hear the rhythms of the language.

These rhythms might be completely different from English - and therefore give the impression of being rude/ threatening/ loud when in fact they are just having a laugh or discussing the weather - but we don't know that, we can only hear the patterns.

So it is not beyond belief that people would find it intimidating - at least if white yobs are shouting around, you can usually tell if the shouting is aimed at you and try and do something about it (including running away if necessary) - but if you can't tell if it's aimed at you, you don't know what to do about it either. That in itself can be a bit fear-inducing.

TSC - I think you were way over the top in your condemnation of nickschick - and to accuse her of lying? Why would you do that? Were you there? Did you have her experiences?

And OP - YANBU, I was quite shocked too. Just glad that their vote was too diffuse to actually get anyone into Parliament. The Green party had far less of the vote but still managed to get their MP because of the vote distribution.

I know people that vote BNP solely because they address the immigration issue. The main parties seem to ignore it, therefore, the people with issues with immigration feel this is there only option.

This is not my politics, but what pisses me right off, is that the people that really disagree with current immagration are automatically viewed as racist / bigots etc, yet in countries with established immigration control, its not. For instance in last nights Brothers & Sisters, the Kitty McAllister character that is running for senator says she will tighten border control & immigration . . . . .

that is fine . . . . over here, there would be tons of shit

If the main parties addressed the immigration issues that a lot of the population are bothered about, rather than running scared of being called a 'racist', BNP et al would only get a handful of votes.

I'm sick of people not being able to have legitimate views, for fear of being named racist or bigot. Yet its fine to query NHS or education or taxation policy!!!!

MsAMouse, the problem is not that people are not allowed to have views on immigration. Its simple - there is no distinction made between legal and illegal immigration or immigrants who are here through due process. Do you know how much it costs to legally immigrate to the UK? A lot! Quite a lot.

Yet, we are not allowed to integrate properly into the community. We lived in a village for over 4 years, and we were still seen as the outsiders. DH said this on the eve of our departure - 'no matter how long we stay here, how many friends we have, how much we contribute to the society, we will still be seen as outsiders.' And he's right. It doesn't matter that I speak perfect English, people would still make judgements based on my race. And that's where the government has failed. They have never turned around and said, hold on for a second, immigrants actually contribute a hell of a lot to our society, and our economy depends on them. That internations students, for example are a huge source of income for the country. Legal immigrants are seen as cash cows for the government to exploit.

To bring the BNP's vile rhetoric on immigration into this is rubbing salt in the wound. A lot of immigrants don't integrate, sure. But then a hell of a lot of them do. What about them eh? Do they not matter?

I met someone recently who said she was so disillusioned with the government and their ineptitude re immigration that she was considering emigrating Think the irony eluded her.

ladylush, , now that's funny.