On the subject of racism.

It doesn't matter that one man works and has musical talents whist the other man does sod all .there has always been people like Mr Sod All, but it is a fact since the referendum people seem to think they have won the freedom to verbally and/or physically abuse those who are not British. Police forces are dealing with a rapid increase in racial abuse . I too feel both sad and angry

What scares me is that the neighbour [it was a woman actually]just assumed that the S.O. would agree with her.

What's an SO??

Significant Other.

I have a lovely ex colleague who is from Romania. He is a highly qualified mental health nurse and works in the nursing home I retired from. Since the EU referendum he has had his house egged twice and his car vandalised. The low life responsible has been arrested by the police. He is a well known troublemaker who lives on benefits. These good people come to this country to do a very difficult and often distressing job. I fail to understand what motivates these idiots.

Envy and fear? And it's part of the NIMBY syndrome (not in my back yard.)

I just don't think we should be concerned about being on benefits or working, racism is vile no matter who suffers the racist attacks .

Thanks Anya

I have neither seen nor heard anything racist since the referendum. Where is it happening?

I don't recall seeing or hearing a racist attack anywhere, ever.

I think Brexit is going to get blamed for everything it possibly can (and can't) be blamed for for quite a while. It's the non-racist way of blaming someone(s) else for all that's going wrong in thr UK. Same as comments like "bloody foreigners" when you think about it, just bloody brexiters instead.

Makes a change from global warming or Iraq, I suppose.

Technically speaking "bloody foreigners" isn't racist anyway. Xenophobic perhaps but not racist.

I wonder if it's a geographical thing, stansgran? Cities are supposed to be more cosmopolitan than rural outbacks and the cities I've lived in were... at least the parts I had anything to with were. But then, so were the small town and rural places I've lived in as well.

Perhaps we just don't mix with the 'right' people?

Anya I agree, it's getting a bit like when we lived in Camelford, Cornwall.There was an incident with the mains water ( unusable for a while) and for years after , every ill was put down to ' it's the water!'

I have never heard racist comments or incidents either.

Sorry, wrong poster ( I claim old age) I meant the comment to thatbags

For those expressing surprise/cynicism at the reports of racism/xenophobia because you've never witnessed it ..... how many of you have witnessed child abuse, rape or murder?

There's been a reported increase in anti-immigrant incidents - I'm inclined to believe it.

I believe the reports too, river. I still think that racism generally is not common in Britain. I know racist incidents happen and I would not like to have been in tegan's position where she heard racist or xenophobic comments a lot.

Was Kelvin Mackenzie's rant about the channel four newsreader wearing a hijab in Nice racism?
Did none of you see or read about that?

I didn't. But then I don't have time to watch much tv.

www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/20/fatima-manji-kelvin-mackenzie-toxic-propaganda-sun-anti-muslim&sa=U&ved=0ahUKEwiT-J_04ILOAhWWF8AKHY1SCXQQFggOMAM&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNE2oFiRBnZICwIqZQ8ibmPNpctkSQ
Not on TV.

By the way, most immigrants in Durham are American, Stansgran.
Strangely, I do not think that people will tell Americans to go home. They will assume they are on holiday.

Perhaps the episode you mention was racism, dj. I didn't see it either. I read about someone somewhere pulling a woman's niqab off!

The point I was trying to make is that I don't think the Brexit vote can be blamed directly for the recent upsurge in racist attacks. Brexit has not caused racism. Some people who had racist tendencies already are using the Brexit vote as an excuse (not that it is an excuse, but you know what I mean) to express what before Brexit was presumably suppressed racism. I think and hope this up surge will be dealt with and will die down.

So racist ideas were always there and Brexit has encouraged it out in the open. Therefore it is the fault of Brexit.
Just heard tha Mishcon de Reya have been racially abused online, so people who were going to go to court with them and challenge article 50 have pulled out.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/am-i-welcome_uk_5774db0be4b08b8610d77e48

Don't care how you try and justify it, it's wrong.

Sorry but I don't agree. Did you see the front pages of the populist Press during the run up to the Referendum? Full of hate, ridiculous figures, and much worse. And the Farage in front of THAT poster- and the pamphlets and door knockers and street canvassers for UKIP - pure racism and xenophobia- and yes, it has rubbed on very much in some areas of Britain - denial of such is quite incredible, really.

Just because you have not experienced in your specific area- doesn't mean it does not happen and has not increased significantly.