Diversity is not always a strength. In this context, diversity means fewer white people, fewer Englishmen, and fewer Christians. There are those who would celebrate that. I would call them racists.
I've always found it amazing the way people who are of mixed race - both white/Anglo-Saxon-Norman-Celtic, & of some other non-white ethnicity - are expected to claim their non-white ethnicity, whilst ignoring their white ethnicity - even though they may actually be more white than non-white, & in some cases even "look" white. It's almost like they are not expected to also be proud of their "white" heritage - because there is something "wrong" with being white. And it seems like there is more "kudos" for a person, if they can claim some non-white ethinicity.
Many western countries will happily support the claims of "indigenous" people in countries that have been colonised by the UK & other European countries - like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia & some African countries. But they forget that the "indigenous" people of the UK are actually white Anglo-Saxon-Norman-Celtic people - & they do not want to afford these people the same rights/entitlements that they will so readily campaign for, for the indigenous people of other countries.
The UK seems to be quite happy to allow itself, through immigration, to effectively be "colonised" by many people from a variety of other countries, & diminish the rights of any native-born British, by giving additional privileges to new arrivals.
Having an "open borders" policy is fraught with danger. Geographically, the UK is a small country & there is a limit as to how many people it can comfortably accommodate. Immigration needs to be controlled, along the lines of people who have skills & qualifications that the country needs. Allowing anyone to enter the country - especially those who are unskilled, means they are more likely to at some stage be a drain on society when they cannot get work. The UK does not need any more such people - as I'm sure it already has enough home-grown people who are relatively unskilled.
Unfortunately, in the case of refugees & those who seek political asylum, one cannot insist that they also possess certain skill levels, before they are allowed into the country. But with normal migrants, it is certainly possible to control immigration on the basis of skills/qualifications. All migrants - whether refugees/political asylum seekers or not, need to be thoroughly vetted, where possible, for any criminal history in their backgrounds - as the last thing the UK needs is more criminals being allowed into the country. Even if someone is a refugee, but they also happen to have a criminal background - they should not be allowed into the country.
The case of Pakistani Moslem grooming/rape gangs getting away with committing crimes for such a long period of time, just because the authorities were afraid of discrimination claims if charges were pressed, has been a real blight on British society. It is yet another example of special privileges being afforded to various migrant groups in society - who have not integrated into British society, nor accepted the British culture & standards. Had it been white/British people committing such crimes - the authorities would have had no hesitation in pressing charges.
All migrants who are allowed to enter Britain need to be capable of fully integrating into British society, in terms of language & accepting the culture & values of their adopted country - just as any British person migrating to another country would be expected to fully integrate into the society of that country & abide by its laws & standards etc.
There should be no "preference" given to migrants when it comes to jobs - applicants should simply be assessed on who would be capable of performing the job the best, & has the best skills/qualifications for the job. Sometimes it happens that the standards are lowered for migrant workers, because their language skills may not be the best, & they may not have had all the same opportunities to acquire all the skills required for the job..
Even some of the Scandinavian countries now are starting to crack down on the more or less "open door" policy they had on immigration - as they have now realised that many of the people they have previously allowed to settle in their countries (especially those from pedominantly Moslem countries) have not integrated well into their societies. This has resulted in "ghettos" forming in some cities, which have more or less become "no go" zones even for the local authoriities, as well as anyone who is not from that particular community/ghetto. Maybe it's about time the UK started tightening up on immigration in the same manner as some of these Scandinavian countries ae now doing.
"Black Lives Matter", is, at its very heart, much more that just an organisation trying to ensure equality for black people. In fact, concern for black lives is only a very small & superficial part of the reason for its existence. It is a Marxist organisation which seeks to destroy society as we now know it, so that it can re-build it the way it thinks society should be. Anyone who has previously read the fine print on their web site will know this. I also recall seeing an interview with the organisation's founders, where the founders admitted they were all "trained Marxists". This is one reason why I could not possibly support BLM. There are plenty of other anti-racism organisations out there that one could support - but BLM is certainly one of the worst.
A timely and brave article. As a little bit of a Swede (Viking?), English, British, European, and a citizen of the world, and above this a citizen of Heaven, I am these things but the last first. I am a royalist, for the most on the right in politics,(but joined the SDP out of frustration) but as a priest sometimes on the left and an early retired C of E priest who finds the C of E today difficult to be a part of. I have evangelical roots, but gravitated to more catholic worship, through in some BCP, Celtic, and a little of a liberal persuasion, I am a mix. I do believe in a national church open to all and that is how I have used my ministry. I believe all are equal before God of whatever persuasion and I know in this life 'the love command' is critical and accepting the 'other' also where possible. That's me.
I know that no country has a perfect past and that is so for the UK and yet the Kingdom people enjoy savaging today is not one I fully recognize or accept. I totally disagree for the most. Indeed, I would say read your history or even move to another country if the UK or England is so terrible, or even the West as some feel. The British Empire was not all bad but perhaps the whole concept of empire we feel is wrong today in 2022 of course. Back then it was the context of the world view. It was we who in the end fought to help abolish slavery. I would say to those who bleat on about past slavery, use your time and energy on combating human slavery and trafficking today where we can make a real difference. We have now done the past.
Enoch Powell is a man I have never believed was the devil or the racist some say. Saying such is heresy to some I know but I am saying it. Often without studying his life, he is torn apart. Interesting that! From memory he was a churchwarden, writer, a military man of rank and more but of course an MP. The famous speech he delivered was provocative as he well knew. Designed to alert people to what may happen and in some ways has, but perhaps his speeches caused the opposite to what he was trying to say, to happen. So I believe he as been singled out and dealt far too harshly. A racist? Are we not all by default? If I have this correct, he said we are all naturally racists as we belong to different races. That is totally true so what is the issue? So we are all racists and that is normal unless this goes into the realms of hatred and prejudice that it can easily. Even so, we are what we are!
Frankly in my view and others will disagree, our current situation in the UK is complex. I am no fan of the EU being the costly, bureaucratic and undemographic body that it is and do not want open borders. It is out of control and no one size fits all. This is not what most people voted for but crept without taking people along Mr Major. However I do strongly believe that Europe needs a very close relationship but not as the EU. We share much. So why say this? I am not sure what has gone wrong in England. It seems many younger people have no sense of being English or British, and have skipped this and feel European. Why? We should be proud of our country even with its imperfections. This is not so in Scotland for example who keep their identity and most European countries as well. So the mass influx since 2000c under Mr Blair's mad open door policy has changed so much. The arrival of Eastern Europeans on mass and of course this is why people voted for Brexit (I know from many a doorstep) created a tense time. I would say too many and too quickly. However, frankly I have no issue with Eastern Europeans as we share much in culture. They also play an important role in our country. But the numbers!
What makes me more uncomfortable is the arrival of far too many from many alien countries along with alien culture that I have to say are normally Islamic. That is just the truth and call it Islamophobia if you wish. Islam just does not sit well with the UK law and culture but so many have arrived and I see Sharia Law courts work around the country without much comment (Why?) and many Muslims live in ghettos with a mosque and for many with no real contact with British people or even love. Indeed, some do not even speak the language. So why come? How on earth has Mohammad become at times the top first name in England for babies! Alarmed? We should be. More foreign babies that native babies! That should really set alarm bells going. It is also clear that nobody wishes to upset Muslims from the Government, to Councils, to the police, the Church and more. Well of course we should not upset people without good cause, but should when there is. The use of Sharia to side step our legal system, grooming (that I was told about before Rotherham by active police officers from Yorkshire was happening but they were told to say nothing!) how woman and girls are treated and far more is not acceptable. For me Islam needs to understand our countries roots and culture and be challenged where there is need. I am sorry but other religions and way of life may be alien but are no real issue. Again its numbers. That is how it is most of us think I know. However, I have met some very normal and good Muslims who play important roles in society as well as some pretty bad Christians and atheists. Even so, it seems our country has become a country of tribes and we are split on just about anything you can mention. It was never this bad on any subject virtually.
So far too much immigration has and is damaging England. Of course some is very productive. It is about numbers. I say this as I know most people believe such.
So open door immigration has had a massive impact on the UK and England and it's hard to see it recover. It's not all good is my firm view now. Somehow we need to carve out a new England but I feel robbed and abused. On top of this we now see we have inept politicians and laws that can't stop illegal immigrants arriving and worse, staying. The case of the Albanians is totally shocking on so many levels. Why are they here? They should not be? Thank God in WW2 we had better borders or the Nazis would have rolled on in.
I could go on. The census says it all and especially the decline of our Christian Faith. So for me Powell was in many ways quite correct but people need to read around him. I have no issues with some immigration at all but we are well past that point and it goes on. It's not all bad and I I know all are equal before God, but I walk that tightrope between being a Christian, and English and I do now feel we have been invaded as a tiny island. Will it stop?
There has been some commentary, following the release of the census results, that it's important to distinguish the decline of the historic white British population from the decline in Christian belief. I think it's important to say that they are two aspects of the same phenomenon, ie the rise of a materialistic (scientistic) world-view. Where you have a materialist point of view - dominant in secular countries like ours - then the whole notion that an indigenous culture is something that exists cannot be argued for, because it is not a material reality. The point is that it is a spiritual reality, and spiritual realities need a spiritual defence, this is the realm of the principalities and powers as discussed in the New Testament, and this is the realm within which Jesus operated (my kingdom is not of this world) and in which his triumph was made. The trouble with English culture - the vulnerability of English culture - is that this understanding has vanished from those who have been entrusted with the responsibility for it; in short, the Church of England is not a spiritually serious church, and has been taken over by the social worker, what I call 'the idolatry of the second commandment'. As MacIntyre famously put it, we have been ruled over by the barbarians for quite some time.
I've always found it amazing the way people who are of mixed race - both white/Anglo-Saxon-Norman-Celtic, & of some other non-white ethnicity - are expected to claim their non-white ethnicity, whilst ignoring their white ethnicity - even though they may actually be more white than non-white, & in some cases even "look" white. It's almost like they are not expected to also be proud of their "white" heritage - because there is something "wrong" with being white. And it seems like there is more "kudos" for a person, if they can claim some non-white ethinicity.
Many western countries will happily support the claims of "indigenous" people in countries that have been colonised by the UK & other European countries - like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia & some African countries. But they forget that the "indigenous" people of the UK are actually white Anglo-Saxon-Norman-Celtic people - & they do not want to afford these people the same rights/entitlements that they will so readily campaign for, for the indigenous people of other countries.
The UK seems to be quite happy to allow itself, through immigration, to effectively be "colonised" by many people from a variety of other countries, & diminish the rights of any native-born British, by giving additional privileges to new arrivals.
Having an "open borders" policy is fraught with danger. Geographically, the UK is a small country & there is a limit as to how many people it can comfortably accommodate. Immigration needs to be controlled, along the lines of people who have skills & qualifications that the country needs. Allowing anyone to enter the country - especially those who are unskilled, means they are more likely to at some stage be a drain on society when they cannot get work. The UK does not need any more such people - as I'm sure it already has enough home-grown people who are relatively unskilled.
Unfortunately, in the case of refugees & those who seek political asylum, one cannot insist that they also possess certain skill levels, before they are allowed into the country. But with normal migrants, it is certainly possible to control immigration on the basis of skills/qualifications. All migrants - whether refugees/political asylum seekers or not, need to be thoroughly vetted, where possible, for any criminal history in their backgrounds - as the last thing the UK needs is more criminals being allowed into the country. Even if someone is a refugee, but they also happen to have a criminal background - they should not be allowed into the country.
The case of Pakistani Moslem grooming/rape gangs getting away with committing crimes for such a long period of time, just because the authorities were afraid of discrimination claims if charges were pressed, has been a real blight on British society. It is yet another example of special privileges being afforded to various migrant groups in society - who have not integrated into British society, nor accepted the British culture & standards. Had it been white/British people committing such crimes - the authorities would have had no hesitation in pressing charges.
All migrants who are allowed to enter Britain need to be capable of fully integrating into British society, in terms of language & accepting the culture & values of their adopted country - just as any British person migrating to another country would be expected to fully integrate into the society of that country & abide by its laws & standards etc.
There should be no "preference" given to migrants when it comes to jobs - applicants should simply be assessed on who would be capable of performing the job the best, & has the best skills/qualifications for the job. Sometimes it happens that the standards are lowered for migrant workers, because their language skills may not be the best, & they may not have had all the same opportunities to acquire all the skills required for the job..
Even some of the Scandinavian countries now are starting to crack down on the more or less "open door" policy they had on immigration - as they have now realised that many of the people they have previously allowed to settle in their countries (especially those from pedominantly Moslem countries) have not integrated well into their societies. This has resulted in "ghettos" forming in some cities, which have more or less become "no go" zones even for the local authoriities, as well as anyone who is not from that particular community/ghetto. Maybe it's about time the UK started tightening up on immigration in the same manner as some of these Scandinavian countries ae now doing.
"Black Lives Matter", is, at its very heart, much more that just an organisation trying to ensure equality for black people. In fact, concern for black lives is only a very small & superficial part of the reason for its existence. It is a Marxist organisation which seeks to destroy society as we now know it, so that it can re-build it the way it thinks society should be. Anyone who has previously read the fine print on their web site will know this. I also recall seeing an interview with the organisation's founders, where the founders admitted they were all "trained Marxists". This is one reason why I could not possibly support BLM. There are plenty of other anti-racism organisations out there that one could support - but BLM is certainly one of the worst.
A timely and brave article. As a little bit of a Swede (Viking?), English, British, European, and a citizen of the world, and above this a citizen of Heaven, I am these things but the last first. I am a royalist, for the most on the right in politics,(but joined the SDP out of frustration) but as a priest sometimes on the left and an early retired C of E priest who finds the C of E today difficult to be a part of. I have evangelical roots, but gravitated to more catholic worship, through in some BCP, Celtic, and a little of a liberal persuasion, I am a mix. I do believe in a national church open to all and that is how I have used my ministry. I believe all are equal before God of whatever persuasion and I know in this life 'the love command' is critical and accepting the 'other' also where possible. That's me.
I know that no country has a perfect past and that is so for the UK and yet the Kingdom people enjoy savaging today is not one I fully recognize or accept. I totally disagree for the most. Indeed, I would say read your history or even move to another country if the UK or England is so terrible, or even the West as some feel. The British Empire was not all bad but perhaps the whole concept of empire we feel is wrong today in 2022 of course. Back then it was the context of the world view. It was we who in the end fought to help abolish slavery. I would say to those who bleat on about past slavery, use your time and energy on combating human slavery and trafficking today where we can make a real difference. We have now done the past.
Enoch Powell is a man I have never believed was the devil or the racist some say. Saying such is heresy to some I know but I am saying it. Often without studying his life, he is torn apart. Interesting that! From memory he was a churchwarden, writer, a military man of rank and more but of course an MP. The famous speech he delivered was provocative as he well knew. Designed to alert people to what may happen and in some ways has, but perhaps his speeches caused the opposite to what he was trying to say, to happen. So I believe he as been singled out and dealt far too harshly. A racist? Are we not all by default? If I have this correct, he said we are all naturally racists as we belong to different races. That is totally true so what is the issue? So we are all racists and that is normal unless this goes into the realms of hatred and prejudice that it can easily. Even so, we are what we are!
Frankly in my view and others will disagree, our current situation in the UK is complex. I am no fan of the EU being the costly, bureaucratic and undemographic body that it is and do not want open borders. It is out of control and no one size fits all. This is not what most people voted for but crept without taking people along Mr Major. However I do strongly believe that Europe needs a very close relationship but not as the EU. We share much. So why say this? I am not sure what has gone wrong in England. It seems many younger people have no sense of being English or British, and have skipped this and feel European. Why? We should be proud of our country even with its imperfections. This is not so in Scotland for example who keep their identity and most European countries as well. So the mass influx since 2000c under Mr Blair's mad open door policy has changed so much. The arrival of Eastern Europeans on mass and of course this is why people voted for Brexit (I know from many a doorstep) created a tense time. I would say too many and too quickly. However, frankly I have no issue with Eastern Europeans as we share much in culture. They also play an important role in our country. But the numbers!
What makes me more uncomfortable is the arrival of far too many from many alien countries along with alien culture that I have to say are normally Islamic. That is just the truth and call it Islamophobia if you wish. Islam just does not sit well with the UK law and culture but so many have arrived and I see Sharia Law courts work around the country without much comment (Why?) and many Muslims live in ghettos with a mosque and for many with no real contact with British people or even love. Indeed, some do not even speak the language. So why come? How on earth has Mohammad become at times the top first name in England for babies! Alarmed? We should be. More foreign babies that native babies! That should really set alarm bells going. It is also clear that nobody wishes to upset Muslims from the Government, to Councils, to the police, the Church and more. Well of course we should not upset people without good cause, but should when there is. The use of Sharia to side step our legal system, grooming (that I was told about before Rotherham by active police officers from Yorkshire was happening but they were told to say nothing!) how woman and girls are treated and far more is not acceptable. For me Islam needs to understand our countries roots and culture and be challenged where there is need. I am sorry but other religions and way of life may be alien but are no real issue. Again its numbers. That is how it is most of us think I know. However, I have met some very normal and good Muslims who play important roles in society as well as some pretty bad Christians and atheists. Even so, it seems our country has become a country of tribes and we are split on just about anything you can mention. It was never this bad on any subject virtually.
So far too much immigration has and is damaging England. Of course some is very productive. It is about numbers. I say this as I know most people believe such.
So open door immigration has had a massive impact on the UK and England and it's hard to see it recover. It's not all good is my firm view now. Somehow we need to carve out a new England but I feel robbed and abused. On top of this we now see we have inept politicians and laws that can't stop illegal immigrants arriving and worse, staying. The case of the Albanians is totally shocking on so many levels. Why are they here? They should not be? Thank God in WW2 we had better borders or the Nazis would have rolled on in.
I could go on. The census says it all and especially the decline of our Christian Faith. So for me Powell was in many ways quite correct but people need to read around him. I have no issues with some immigration at all but we are well past that point and it goes on. It's not all bad and I I know all are equal before God, but I walk that tightrope between being a Christian, and English and I do now feel we have been invaded as a tiny island. Will it stop?
There has been some commentary, following the release of the census results, that it's important to distinguish the decline of the historic white British population from the decline in Christian belief. I think it's important to say that they are two aspects of the same phenomenon, ie the rise of a materialistic (scientistic) world-view. Where you have a materialist point of view - dominant in secular countries like ours - then the whole notion that an indigenous culture is something that exists cannot be argued for, because it is not a material reality. The point is that it is a spiritual reality, and spiritual realities need a spiritual defence, this is the realm of the principalities and powers as discussed in the New Testament, and this is the realm within which Jesus operated (my kingdom is not of this world) and in which his triumph was made. The trouble with English culture - the vulnerability of English culture - is that this understanding has vanished from those who have been entrusted with the responsibility for it; in short, the Church of England is not a spiritually serious church, and has been taken over by the social worker, what I call 'the idolatry of the second commandment'. As MacIntyre famously put it, we have been ruled over by the barbarians for quite some time.