Not really sure why everyone's acting all shocked about the AfD gains in Germany.

[Peter]

True, actually. The European people certainly can't be faulted on their toleration of mass migration. But there's a big difference between toleration of something and support for it.

Happy to rephrase if it helps. The majority of people do not want mass immigration and would be happier, lets be honest, if there was hardly any immigration at all.

[Burney]

Happy to rephrase if it helps. The majority of people do not want mass immigration and would be happier, lets be honest, if there was hardly any immigration at all.

Absolutely. Polls have shown for decades that there is absolutely not a mandate for mass immigration. However, politicians have kept doing it, with predictable consequences.

I do wonder why it is that those who have consciously and deliberately ignored legitimate voter concerns for decades now seem so shocked that the voters have turned on them. What did they think would happen? Did they think this can could be kicked down the road forever?

[Monty92]

Absolutely. Polls have shown for decades that there is absolutely not a mandate for mass immigration. However, politicians have kept doing it, with predictable consequences.

I do wonder why it is that those who have consciously and deliberately ignored legitimate voter concerns for decades now seem so shocked that the voters have turned on them. What did they think would happen? Did they think this can could be kicked down the road forever?

Large numbers of people who only experience the good side of immigration lack empathy with people who experience the more negative side. I have about 6 immigrant neighbours in my small block alone, but they are the good type - all middle class professionals and no Allans (except Mesut). We have lovely ethnic-owned restaurants nearby and all the non-British kids that go to our kids' school are likely to be middle class because of the catchment area.

Why should immigration bother people like me?

[Burney]

Large numbers of people who only experience the good side of immigration lack empathy with people who experience the more negative side. I have about 6 immigrant neighbours in my small block alone, but they are the good type - all middle class professionals and no Allans (except Mesut). We have lovely ethnic-owned restaurants nearby and all the non-British kids that go to our kids' school are likely to be middle class because of the catchment area.

Why should immigration bother people like me?

Yes. It's also easy to lose sight of how vastly different London is with regard to immigration to the rest of the country. London is huge, wealthy and can absorb immigrants relatively easily. The rest of the country is very, very different in this regard. And if recent politics has shown us anything, it's that Londoners really do not have a fùcking clue how the rest of the country feels.

[Billy Goat Sverige]

Yes. It's also easy to lose sight of how vastly different London is with regard to immigration to the rest of the country. London is huge, wealthy and can absorb immigrants relatively easily. The rest of the country is very, very different in this regard. And if recent politics has shown us anything, it's that Londoners really do not have a fùcking clue how the rest of the country feels.

Yes, this is one of the main issues. The cities are decently equipped to absorb the immigrants, but stick them in a town or village where there's not really any jobs and you just end up with a load of unemployed people roaming the streets all day. Over here they brought in a policy of forcing all the different boroughs to take refugees once they'd been given residency, this has forced these boroughs who have no form of social housing to buy apartments to house them all in. I don't know if you saw this wonderful story from last week

https://www.thelocal.se/20170919/did...ee-wives-nacka

That particular borough has spent £30m in the last 18 months buying apartments to house refugees. Sick of it.

[Burney]

Yes, this is one of the main issues. The cities are decently equipped to absorb the immigrants, but stick them in a town or village where there's not really any jobs and you just end up with a load of unemployed people roaming the streets all day. Over here they brought in a policy of forcing all the different boroughs to take refugees once they'd been given residency, this has forced these boroughs who have no form of social housing to buy apartments to house them all in. I don't know if you saw this wonderful story from last week

https://www.thelocal.se/20170919/did...ee-wives-nacka

That particular borough has spent £30m in the last 18 months buying apartments to house refugees. Sick of it.

Must feel good knowing your taxes paid for that.

[Luis Anaconda]

Large numbers of people who only experience the good side of immigration lack empathy with people who experience the more negative side. I have about 6 immigrant neighbours in my small block alone, but they are the good type - all middle class professionals and no Allans (except Mesut). We have lovely ethnic-owned restaurants nearby and all the non-British kids that go to our kids' school are likely to be middle class because of the catchment area.

Why should immigration bother people like me?

Isn't there evidence that shows the most virulent anti-immigration protests are in areas where there are few migrants - as in the success of AfD in East Germany where there is very little

[Peter]

Isn't there evidence that shows the most virulent anti-immigration protests are in areas where there are few migrants - as in the success of AfD in East Germany where there is very little

Yes, there is some. THe most obvious cause of protest will be areas that are new to migration and are seeing foreigners for the first time. You then have areas that contain hardly any but believe they will be next.

[Burney]

Isn't there evidence that shows the most virulent anti-immigration protests are in areas where there are few migrants - as in the success of AfD in East Germany where there is very little

There's no inherent contradiction there, though. Those who have small levels or no immigration are still in a position to do something to stop it and are thus most motivated to act.

[Luis Anaconda]

There's no inherent contradiction there, though. Those who have small levels or no immigration are still in a position to do something to stop it and are thus most motivated to act.

Oh, I wasn't saying there was - just interesting as a counterpoint to Monty's London take on things.