Is the UK a racist country

[bubblebabble]

Hi there, just wanted to get your views on this. I've been following the Tory hustings and am very shocked that people prefer Truss to Sunak when clearly, he's more intelligent and capable.
It makes me wonder if racism is at play and people can't handle a non-white PM in this country?

Compared to North Europe countries like Germany, UK is a marvellously non racist country IMHO. The issue I'm having with Sunak is he can't empathise with poorer parts of society. Don't think his policies will work. Doesn't seem like a deep thinker. Nothing to do with race. Don't like Truss either though...

@Hungryharriet the wealth of and 'number of millions' is entirely relevant in regards to the OP's faux naivety - 'I find the argument of him not being able to relate to the common man strange'. Especially as the OP can't possibly fathom why Sunak, a multi multi millionaire, would have a bit of backlash/resistance, when attempting to become the face of a party known for cutting essential benefits and getting richer and richer during a pandemic and a cost of living/energy crisis. Amongst other shady things. It can't be because of his vast wealth, it just must be about his race.

Yeah right. You sound really switched on.

And black people can be English @Tania64 . Just in case you did not know.

The reason I wouldn't want him is to do with the fact he is a multi millionaire that doesn't have to live in the real world. Nothing to do with his heritage. Tbh I think having an Asian prime minister would be good but I wouldn't vote him in.

Interesting point.

The Tory party is generally much better on the diversity front (See Boris's cabinet, two female prime ministers, and I think the first to have LGBTQ members who were "out" of their own accord).

So I think in this sense the path to senior cabinet positions for those from diverse backgrounds is well trodden.

What hasn't happened before is having someone who is a different race or sexual orientation, in the PM position.

So I think, in an unconscious bias kind of way, it is easier to imagine Truss as PM, it is harder to imagine Sunak.

I don't like either (have never voted Tory) but if I had to choose the least worst option I would go for Sunak.

But being British Asian myself I have reservations of Sunak coming to power as I feel, rightly or wrongly, that this could impact the British Asian community adversely. It's like in a weird way he represents us all (even though he doesn't).

When he inevitably does something unfavourable, people will bring race into it, and in turn I sort of feel it would tarnish us.

Would Boris have been able to get away with all the terrible things he's done if he was Asian? To be honest I don't think he'd have even become PM.

Anyway that's my two pennies worth - better save the rest for the cost of living crisis.

It's not that he's Asian, it was very off-putting when he sniggered and said 'we'll, not working class' when describing his friends. Also Liz Truss has consistently stood up for womens sex based rights. I don't particularly like or dislike either of them but Truss would get my vote purely on standing up for women.

He did make his money on his own. It doesn't bother me that he's rich, I want a PM who can solve problems. I don't get the whole, he's so rich so he can't relate to the common man.

London is more multicultural than most other parts of the UK.

I think racism is a natural state in most humans tbh so yes, the UK has issues with racism as a country, but so do all the others - many much worse. I think we are doing a huge amount to address it and alleviate its outcomes though. I think the majority of people here do their very best to not be racist, but you'll always get arseholes that spoil it.

As for Sunak, he just seems a bit wishy washy and out of touch to me. Liz Truss not much better but she was one of the first to stand up to the gender nonsense so she edges it for me.

I feel like you're being a bit judgemental about who I am. This is honestly my opinion. I don't believe a person should not be a PM because he's immensely wealthy.
I'm not from the UK so I'm genuinely asking as coming from an Asian country, we don't find this a flaw if anything we think of it as aspirational.

Exactly this. And his wife’s non-dom tax dodging.

Not everything is about race.

Do people think Boris was working class? He was from a wealthy family too. Most Prime Ministers are. Particularly Tory Prime Ministers.

I think this whole "but he's a multimillionaire" is in someways an unconscious way of the racism seeing through.

It's like they've latched onto a legitimate grievance that wasn't applied to any of the previous prime ministers, but funnily enough the one Asian option that comes along and suddenly it's become a red line.

Yes, thank you! This is exactly how I feel.
I have kids and don't want them to think that being rich means you're a bad person who isn't kind. I want my kids to aspire towards being wealthy. You can be rich and a good person.
To be honest, I'm upper middle class and I would be immensely proud if my kids grew up to be successful and intelligent like Sunak.
People focus on him saying that he doesn't have working class friends in that clip from when he was a teenager - they missed the bit of his mother talking about how they made a sacrifice to achieve this. I'm not saying they were poor but it still takes hard work to raise a kid to be successful.
I'm just saying I don't think we should vilify people who are rich.
Also strange considering in the UK you have a woman prancing around in diamonds and crowns. That's ok. But a rich PM, oh no!

True, but the whole of the UK vote for MPs who sit in the Houses of Parliament.

You're clearly not open to debate OP. Why did you start this goady thread? You only seem to want comments that agree with you. Sounds like all you wanted to hear was 'oh yes everyone in Britain is a massive racist' just because an Asian MP may or may not become our next PM.

For context I'm also non white from a 'middle class' family. Though clearly not 'upper middle class' like yourself. It isn't only white people that don't want out of touch politicians who pretend to be 'man of the people' running our country.

Er no, the OP has a view on the subject which may or may not be changed by this thread. The points haven't been extensively debated, and I don't think your contribution will have swayed her.

Which leader hasn't tried to position themselves as "Man of the People"?

If you look at the last 40 or so years, bar John Major, all our prime ministers have been university educated, and of that bar I think Gordon Brown (who wasn't voted in but took over from Tony Blair), all have been to Oxbridge. Thatcher, Blair, Cameron, May, Johnson, and now either Truss or Sunak.

Bar John Major. All have come from either reasonably comfortable middle class, or very very privileged lives and all, in one way or another, have tried to position themselves as "Of The People" - it's kind of the what you have to do when you are trying to appeal to the masses.

So I still don't buy into this whole "he's a millionaire I couldn't possibly vote for someone who is so out of touch with people" - except you did when it was white privileged people that were in the running.

People have literally voted for candidates who are in a very small elite privileged position i.e. that went to one of two universities, and have done so for at least the last four decades.

I think ad a nation we've all got to the point where we know you can't judge someone by their skin colour . No one takes any notice of mixed race couples anymore it doesn't register . I would say most people under 40 are not racist far from it . Kids today just get on with it .

Some very good points made on this thread. The UK as a whole hides its racism well. An MP with heritage from one of its former colonies? Ha! The Tory faithful will break out in hives. Most of them still have imperial nostalgia.

Outside the party the UK populace seem to prefer Sunak. By just a tiny smidgen.

Yes, on a day to day level things might have improved but this a different kind of public office, not just some cabinet minister that can be ousted in a reshuffle. No one of colour has attained this position, yet. It will be interesting to see if he does. And what the long term reception to him is.

And whilst your point about younger people being less likely to be racist maybe true (I hope it is), it is older people that tend to vote.

I like your username 😊

I am absolutely sure that’s part of it, especially after the stuff about his wife’s tax status and his green card.

Hard to say what the different motivations of different Tory members are.

I doubt the Conservative membership is skewed towards under 40s, though.

Things will change a lot more after another generation has passed.