General Election - 4th July 2024

Who will you be voting for in the General Election?

  • Labour

    Votes: 266 56.8%

  • Conservative

    Votes: 12 2.6%

  • Liberal Democrat

    Votes: 40 8.5%

  • Reform

    Votes: 71 15.2%

  • Green Party

    Votes: 28 6.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 51 10.9%
  • Total voters
    468
Brewster's millions said:
Disagree with you regarding the class thing. Sounds a bit patronising in fact.

Also, on the RBS thing, presumably you also despise anyone that took their money out of Northern Rock during the run on the bank, because they really did make the country poorer by their actions?
Click to expand...
Patronising is something I’ve never been accused of before!

They were trying to protect their savings, not feeding off the misery of others. So no, I don’t despise them. I empathise with them.
 
SkyBlueFlux said:
Living in Essex with a black wife and black in-laws, 15% seems fairly realistic. I think people would be genuinely shocked by the attitudes of a sizeable chunk of the population. I know I was.

Let’s be honest, if you're white, you haven’t really got a clue because you never see it or experience it. I was admittedly entirely ignorant to it myself before I met my wife and was firmly in the “racism isn’t really a thing in this country” camp.

I’m not claiming it’s worse than other countries, mind. It is definitely better than Portugal, probably Spain and Italy too. That doesn’t mean it’s not a thing.

That said, I actually do agree with you, there’s more behind the Reform vote than just simple racism. It’s a whole counter-culture that is basically nostalgia goggles for a segment of the population that thinks the British Empire was all really great and had no problems and we should go back to it.
Click to expand...
It's very dissapointing isn't it. I know there is an undercurrent of it in our society and Farage definitely expoits those sentiments. I got called out at a Christmas due last year by a chap who was a white english barber, when I said I went to a local Turkish barber. He wasn't happy at all and I was a bit stunned.

But I would like to think it's not as bad as some European countries. France, Spain Portugal, Italy and Germany. We have some German friends and they have told us there is deep resentment by many Germans at the amount of immigrants that have arrived in recent years but many don't think they can speak out.
 
inchy14 said:
Had a staff member tell me yesterday that he’s voting reform. When I asked why he said to keep the immigrants out. When I pointed out the 2 other staff stood next to him were from Portugal and Spain and wouldn’t be welcome under reform he told me

“But these 2 are ok”

So what he really means are all the Asians who arrive here that he doesn’t want, therefore I conclude he’s fucking racist.
Click to expand...
I'm lucky our staff are generally educated to degree level so there is much less chance of that conversation occuring. Im not trying to be elitist, I'm just assuming people understand the complexities of the issue more.
 
Churchlawtonblue said:
I supose that this depends to a degree on whether you judge everyone who thinks that the UK is allowing too many immigrants in is a racist? Do you think that?
Click to expand...
I certainly believe a large percentage are racist, whether that’s the three blokes I work with, or the two lads who did my kitchen roof recently.
 
Brewster's millions said:
Disagree with you regarding the class thing. Sounds a bit patronising in fact.

Also, on the RBS thing, presumably you also despise anyone that took their money out of Northern Rock during the run on the bank, because they really did make the country poorer by their actions?
Click to expand...
For someone who purports to be knowledgeable about economics and finance, that comparison is just bizarre.
 
BobKowalski said:
My experience, too. Was blissfully ignorant until then. Real eye-opener. That said, my wife thinks continental Europe is worse and the UK does integrate better than most. Essex is a bit iffy in places, though :)
Click to expand...

Mid-Essex where we live is probably a bit worse than most places, in fairness. Ironically my wife is a doctor of psychology who works a few days a week in Clacton (as well as other parts of the Essex trust)… Her English is better than mine but probably won’t surprise you to hear she has had patients who refuse to be treated by her. Now she works with adolescents who are an easier demographic in that respect.

Things were definitely better living in Manchester and London, but we moved out here to be able to afford to buy a house. We’ll definitely move at some point but it’s hard to know where and when given we both have family to consider.
 
SkyBlueFlux said:
Mid-Essex where we live is probably a bit worse than most places, in fairness. Ironically my wife is a doctor of psychology who works a few days a week in Clacton (as well as other parts of the Essex trust)… Her English is better than mine but probably won’t surprise you to hear she has had patients who refuse to be treated by her. Now she works with adolescents who are an easier demographic in that respect.

Things were definitely better living in Manchester and London, but we moved out here to be able to afford to buy a house. We’ll definitely move at some point but it’s hard to know where and when given we both have family to consider.
Click to expand...
Was in Southend earlier this week. And it was definitely quite racist.
 
Churchlawtonblue said:
It's very dissapointing isn't it. I know there is an undercurrent of it in our society and Farage definitely expoits those sentiments. I got called out at a Christmas due last year by a chap who was a white english barber, when I said I went to a local Turkish barber. He wasn't happy at all and I was a bit stunned.

But I would like to think it's not as bad as some European countries. France, Spain Portugal, Italy and Germany. We have some German friends and they have told us there is deep resentment by many Germans at the amount of immigrants that have arrived in recent years but many don't think they can speak out.
Click to expand...

The German situation is nothing new. Back in the day it was Turkish workers they grumbled at. Modern day Germany was built on the back of the guest worker program and still needs immigrant labour. As do all European countries. Might as well grumble at water for being wet.
 
BobKowalski said:
The German situation is nothing new. Back in the day it was Turkish workers they grumbled at. Modern day Germany was built on the back of the guest worker program and still needs immigrant labour. As do all European countries. Might as well grumble at water for being wet.
Click to expand...
Whether it's new or not is surely a moot point?

Can I ask you this Bob, if a person in whatever country, just thinks the rate of net immigration into their country is simply happening too fast, due to services schools health care and housing not keeping up with demand, does that make them a racist?
 
Churchlawtonblue said:
It's very dissapointing isn't it. I know there is an undercurrent of it in our society and Farage definitely expoits those sentiments. I got called out at a Christmas due last year by a chap who was a white english barber, when I said I went to a local Turkish barber. He wasn't happy at all and I was a bit stunned.

But I would like to think it's not as bad as some European countries. France, Spain Portugal, Italy and Germany. We have some German friends and they have told us there is deep resentment by many Germans at the amount of immigrants that have arrived in recent years but many don't think they can speak out.
Click to expand...

My wife grew up in Portugal, it’s definitely way worse there. She says it’s a different kind of problem though, the racism there is just very… overt - which is why the Bernardo/Mendy thing was totally unsurprising, that is the level of normal discourse over there. Here it’s rarely quite as in your face (though sometimes it is).
 
west didsblue said:
For someone who purports to be knowledgeable about economics and finance, that comparison is just bizarre.
Click to expand...
In the post I was replying to, which you’ve failed to read properly, the actual relevance of Sunak’s contribution to RBS’s downfall (lack of) was deemed irrelevant; he was simply alleged to have made the country poorer.

So where do you draw the line on this, because lots of things happened during this period which aggravated the situation and ultimately increased the cost of the bailout? Simply deriding somebody for ‘making the country poorer’, irrespective of what they actually did, is the bizarre thing.
 
SkyBlueFlux said:
Mid-Essex where we live is probably a bit worse than most places, in fairness. Ironically my wife is a doctor of psychology who works a few days a week in Clacton (as well as other parts of the Essex trust)… Her English is better than mine but probably won’t surprise you to hear she has had patients who refuse to be treated by her. Now she works with adolescents who are an easier demographic in that respect.

Things were definitely better living in Manchester and London, but we moved out here to be able to afford to buy a house. We’ll definitely move at some point but it’s hard to know where and when given we both have family to consider.
Click to expand...

We’re closer to London which I think makes a difference. Has a more cosmopolitan vibe. Parents moved to Lincs, near Boston. Essex is ‘woke central’ by comparison.
 
Brewster's millions said:
In the post I was replying to, which you’ve failed to read properly, the actual relevance of Sunak’s contribution to RBS’s downfall (lack of) was deemed irrelevant; he was simply alleged to have made the country poorer.

So where do you draw the line on this, because lots of things happened during this period which aggravated the situation and ultimately increased the cost of the bailout? Simply deriding somebody for ‘making the country poorer’, irrespective of what they actually did, is the bizarre thing.
Click to expand...
You draw the line by not comparing someone being proactive in causing a situation that costs the country a fortune with someone being reactive to the situation that’s been caused. It’s not difficult.
 
Churchlawtonblue said:
I supose that this depends to a degree on whether you judge everyone who thinks that the UK is allowing too many immigrants in is a racist? Do you think that?
Click to expand...

I'm certain it's not everyone - but there's a pretty strong connection.

I posted this yesterday. Voters were allowed to choose just the three most important issues that affected their vote.

With Reform, immigration is a massive outlier. And of all the parties, they're least concerned about the economy, healthcare, housing and education.

Yet, the seats where Farage, Anderson and Tice are standing, are some of the whitest in the country. At the last census, they were all around 96% white, compared with 81% for the UK as a whole.


There may be many explanations why people, who don't mean many immigrants, believe immigrants are the biggest issue in their lives, but racism would certainly be up there.
1718442850630.png
 
Last edited:
I'm more aligned to the green party than the rest, but in the current climate wanting to scrap Trident is a no no for me. But it's easy to promise the world when you know you have fuck all chance of being elected.
 
gordondaviesmoustache said:
Was in Southend earlier this week. And it was definitely quite racist.
Click to expand...

Honestly all the Essex coastal areas are depressing. They are the perfect demonstration that the quality of a neighbourhood has very little to do with how many immigrants live there. 96%+ white British, some of the least diverse places in the country and yet also some of the worst places to live.

People complain about places like Tower Hamlets but I feel much safer walking through there than in places like Jaywick.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top