I was around then. The churches were not packed, people were perhaps more neighbourly. Yes, there was a great deal of disquiet regarding immigration. People resented having their localities transformed by people of different culture, language, religion and race. Even then white-flight was common. The majority of people supported the analysis of the situation of the MP, Enoch Powell. So back then multi-culturalism was as much a failure as it is now.

We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men. [Orwell]

All the churches were packed in Norbury when I was a young lad in the 70's. Standing room only. Maybe you lived in a more pagan loving part of the borough?

Disquiet and resentment emanated from a minority of those of a xenophobic and racist character. The majority were maybe slightly perturbed, a bit confused and curious but firmly not of the way of thinking that they should be openly hostile.

Much as you like to believe otherwise most folk just take as they find and have a live and let live attitude. They did back then and they do today. You don't understand that because your character is different.

Big chest and massive boobs

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I think you are going on a false assumption. The Blair government was more of all of those things than Thatcher ever was. Globalisation obviously goes beyond domestic politics, especially when you are part of a greater trading group like the EU.

Mass immigration started under a Labour government and was eleveated to new unpresidented levels under Labour.

You've lost me on that one Lyons.

the National Front was formed three years after that leaflet and Powell's speech was only four years after and the N.F's zenith seven years after that. A direct line.

Was the 'tone' set ending in the referendum result only apparent in the preceding few months or had it been bubbling for many years? I seem to remember loud Tory Eurosceptics in the early 90's. It evolved.

So going back to your trying to blame far right-wing hate crimes because of Labour once being in power or being more left-wing...well, that is ludicrous and somewhat in line with something Goebbels would approve of as a tactic so well done you.

Big chest and massive boobs

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Well they did love a bit of seig-heil'ing did the N F as well as some homosexual activity. So let's be kind and call them the receivers of Nazism not the givers.

Big chest and massive boobs

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I think the issue could well be to do with the 'transformation' of communities rather than immigration in general. Seems to me that a cause of the 'disquiet' you cite is the lack of certainty as people move. In many parts of the country people have been much more mobile over the last half century or so I think - that means internally as much as internationally.

The effect is break ties that had existed and disrupt habitual ways of engaging with people. That's difficult for anyone, as it adds a degree of stress to day to day interactions. I suspect it's more about these changes, and the immigrants are just the most visual symbol of the change, so they get conflated. That's not to say there aren't genuine problems but I think those are caused more by a lack of investment in those communities rather than the extremes on either side. What do you think?