Comments on: Who are Britain’s ‘Angry White People’?

By: Mick Hills

Mick Hills — Mon, 23 May 2016 21:58:11 +0000

Immigration is a massive issue but has I believe a sensible and not difficult solution. The vast majority of white people will accept the need for immigration and the argument for tolerance and integration is possible as long as immigration is controlled and not seen as ever rising. A figure below 10,000 a year would be acceptable to most people but mass immigration will not be supported by the vast majority of people. It really is as simple as that but make no mistake at present it is the most thought about issue of all voters.

By: Martyn Wood-Bevan

Martyn Wood-Bevan — Mon, 23 May 2016 16:31:09 +0000

My main concern about many working class English people is that they do not have a particularly strong sense of identity and many people who come to this country do have stronger cultural, religious and other characteristics. If you are middle class you can get by on a diet of Antiques Roadshow, Strictly, the Archers, The Queen, Wimbledon and similar but otherwise you may be struggling. As a Welsh person I find it far less of an issue, as, I imagine, is the case for most Scots.

By: Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson — Mon, 23 May 2016 12:27:35 +0000

Boy, Left Foot Forward sure do have some lazy trolls.

By: Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson — Mon, 23 May 2016 12:26:46 +0000

Actually, socialism has literally nothing to do with planned economies or a lack of markets. That is some straight up Cold War propaganda you’ve gobbled up.

Liberals/progressives are not neo-liberals. Neo-liberalism has very little to do with left or right.

By: Imran Khan

Imran Khan — Sun, 22 May 2016 19:00:45 +0000

Alex Wilson. Socialism is the NKVD, Eastern Europe under Communism, Venezuela now, Cuba since 1959, starvation, terror war and mass murder. No thanks.

By: Ted

Ted — Sun, 22 May 2016 16:36:49 +0000

Would like to receiver comment on the book until I have read it, agree it raises some very important issues, but the Far Right were much stronger in numbers in the 1970’s and 80’s the National front was much more popular than the BNP ever was. Where have these supporters gone now? As to the economic policies of the Far Right they are mixed in with a degree of racism and populist policies, some which are the same as Labour or other political parties. When ever I have on a few occasions asked right wing supporters about economic policy most are very vague and suggest employment policy would be based upon where you were born. One or two have spoken about a Facist type of control economy, with no Trade Unions or shareholders.

The white van man written about above actually turned out to be a Tory voter, so not a good example of a Labour voter who has deserted to the Far Right. There has always been a high number of white working class who vote Tory, indeed many Tory MPs might only hold their seats due to the working class Tory. Labour had a chance in 1997 to re-engage with the working class and failed to take the opportunity perhaps because of the tabloid media influence, strongly enough read by the very same people Labour should appeal to. None of this explains why the voters decided we needed a Tory Government in 2015, which was a silly answer to a stupid question.

By: wg

wg — Sun, 22 May 2016 15:25:49 +0000

@Alex Wilson,

Liberal/Progressives are neo-liberals – they invariably agree with open borders and large scale immigration; these two principles are manna from heaven for the capitalists that you claim to dislike.

The resulting free-for-all and race to the bottom hurts the most vulnerable. And what of democracy and community in this Brave New World? Both would disappear as democracy is based on community.

It is wonderful having high-minded ideals, but it is always the people at the bottom that suffer the most.

By: Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson — Sun, 22 May 2016 15:17:07 +0000

Sorry, ad, that’s fallacious.

For HER SPECIFICALLY, wearing a hijab is positive. If you’re going to go round telling women what not to do, you’re as bad as those you claim to oppose.

By: ad

ad — Sun, 22 May 2016 14:06:42 +0000

One young woman she meets stands out – nineteen-year-old Tahsin is a British Muslim who contrary to common misconceptions wears the veil as an act of rebellion. This directly challenges the narrative peddled by politicians like David Cameron that all Muslim women are oppressed and in need of saving.

Curious that one woman saying that proves so much, but hundreds and thousands of women forced into involuntary marriages, or victims of honour killings, not to mention hundreds of teenage girls involved in things like Rotherham, prove nothing at all.

I suppose how much weight we are to put on a piece of evidence depends on how politically correct the conclusions it supports happen to be.

By: Alex Wilson

Alex Wilson — Sun, 22 May 2016 13:10:13 +0000

Sorry, but NHSGP’s comment is so completely fallacious, it’s very hard not to burst out laughing.

But, I’ll try.

Socialism hasn’t failed. You are objectively incorrect. Socialism is an economic model based on worker cooperation i.e. an economy built on worker cooperatives and public owned services. If socialism has failed, why is it that more people now work in cooperatives worldwide (over one billion people) than in multinationals? Why is it that there are well over 30,000 cooperatives in the US alone? Why is it that most of the industrialised world has public owned services which are both far more efficient and cheaper than private healthcare systems?

EDL are not, to paraphrase, ‘Labour with some racism thrown in’. Now, you are being absurd. EDL supporters may very well support the idea of worker owned or publicly owned enterprises and services, but their primary ideology is hatred and xenophobia. Many liberals/progressives share some of the ideals of libertarians, as they favour freedoms and liberty over authoritarianism. But, do you think many liberals/progressives support neo-liberalism?

Socialism hasn’t caused wealth inequality (what planet are you living on?). Capitalism has caused the acute wealth inequality we see today, as capitalism’s end goal is to pool as much wealth and power into as few people’s hands as possible. Capitalism is designed to create monopolies and oligarchies, because it rewards psychopaths and is anti-democratic.