This must be a sad day for England

Read back over the thread.

Probably not, I was avoiding it but if you could give me time and date of the post, I'll look. Thank you 🙂

62Granny

Yes a sad day for ALL the UK. I wonder how many the met police will arrest, probably not Tommy Robinson and his gang of racist thugs , they seem to be bullet proof.

Hopefully they'll arrest all the fascist left wing thugs who go out to cause trouble.
The police have been involved with the prep for this parade.

Allira

^but then neither do I think that calling all Muslims woman-hating-sharia-loving extremists who don’t share our values will help either.^

Has anyone actually said that?

Yes.
Read back over the thread.

Kandinsky

Thing about that poem is, many on the march yesterday fear that the Muslim culture is taking over the country.
And as many Muslims are extremely conservative ( you could even say ‘far right’ ) in their views, not wanting homosexuality spoken about in schools, their views on women etc - maybe Tommy Robinson is more on your side than you think.

Muslim culture is not taking over this country and it never will. These arguments about Muslim culture echo the concerns over 100 years ago over the influence of Irish catholic immigration to this country, The fear that the army would be undermined because Irish catholics would obey the Pope rather than the army command if the Pope made a decree that conflicted with army instructions - I had that accusation made to me in the 1960s - I come from an Irish catholic family, with a long history of service in the British army.

Yet, where are we now? is the country ruled by catholic prelates laaying down the lay for everybody? Of course it isn't.

I think this exageration of Muslim power, as with catholic power, is that immigrants tend to cluster together in cities when they first enter this country. There is community support and jobs there and they are very visible. Move out of the big cities to the smaller towns, remote provinces and you will find the number of Muslim people in the community is much lower, but of course it is cities where news outlets are, where rabble rousers congregate, and where 'threats' get exagerated.

As I pointed out Sharia courts are no different to those in the Cof E ot catholic church for governing their own affairs and they apply only to their own members who agree to accept the courts findings.

As for Sharia marriages, they are just a way of giving a religious gloss to couples choosing to live together rather than legally marry.

foxie48

What wrecks the ability to debate sensibly is when people attack the poster rather than what the poster is saying. It's the snide comments which really annoy me I have absolutely no problem with anyone disagreeing with what I say but fgs just give me your argument not your opinion of me and don't put things into my mouth that I've not said. I think they are easy rules to follow and if on occasions I get pulled up for not following them, I will (and have) apologised. Many of the threads on news and politics cover important topics and are worthy of proper debate. This is one of them.
I really want to understand why people who are not racist or islamophobic, who don't intend to be violent and genuinely want a united Britain would turn out to march with Tommy Robinson. As yet no one has given me a reason.

Maybe because they feel the two main political parties have anything to offer them…

Allira

^but then neither do I think that calling all Muslims woman-hating-sharia-loving extremists who don’t share our values will help either.^

Has anyone actually said that?

I haven’t seen any posts on here saying that…

What wrecks the ability to debate sensibly is when people attack the poster rather than what the poster is saying. It's the snide comments which really annoy me I have absolutely no problem with anyone disagreeing with what I say but fgs just give me your argument not your opinion of me and don't put things into my mouth that I've not said. I think they are easy rules to follow and if on occasions I get pulled up for not following them, I will (and have) apologised. Many of the threads on news and politics cover important topics and are worthy of proper debate. This is one of them.
I really want to understand why people who are not racist or islamophobic, who don't intend to be violent and genuinely want a united Britain would turn out to march with Tommy Robinson. As yet no one has given me a reason.

Maremia

Preserving British culture? Footage on social media showing a flag clothed gentleman and his friends consuming delicious onion bhajis on his way to yesterday's family festival.
Which part of England was it that created such tasty cuisine?

The Indians who make onion bhajis ARE British.

Did you see the black guy who was marching yesterday in support of preserving British culture? Dressed head to toe in Union Jack suit, UJ hat and UJ sunglasses. He looked fantastic and said he was so proud to live here.

but then neither do I think that calling all Muslims woman-hating-sharia-loving extremists who don’t share our values will help either.

Has anyone actually said that?

I don’t think that calling all people worried about illegal immigration stupid or racist will help but then neither do I think that calling all Muslims woman-hating-sharia-loving extremists who don’t share our values will help either.
This is about all of us, and if we want to unify as a nation we have to include all those who have made this nation what it is, and that includes indigenous English people and those from other cultures/religions who
have made this country their home.

Maremia

Chicken Tikka Masala, yes probs invented in Glasgow, an example of the delights that come from cultural fusion. Bangladeshi chefs catering to the tastes of their Glasgow keelie customers, who liked a little bit of sauce with their dinner.
Thanks Allira.

A curry isn't a curry without an onion bhaji or two.
Sorry, off piste.

As you were.

I am not sure reading the room is one of his superpowers. What a mess.

We can often rely on him to make a bad situation worse these days.

I don't believe that women who want male free spaces are bigots, and I am afraid I don't think that people who have concerns about immigration are bigots, and I am afraid I think that applies to lots of people on that March. It isn't the vocabulary as such it is the way it is thrown around.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

And yet Starmer called us ‘an island of strangers’.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he regrets saying the UK risked becoming "an island of strangers" in a speech about immigration.

The prime minister was accused by some critics of using divisive language when he made a speech to announce plans to cut immigration in May. (2025)

"I had no idea – and my speechwriters didn't know either.

As a former DPP you'd think Starmer would quite used to being very careful about the words he uses.

I hope he realises how divided the country is becoming and can step up now and take charge.

Chicken Tikka Masala, yes probs invented in Glasgow, an example of the delights that come from cultural fusion. Bangladeshi chefs catering to the tastes of their Glasgow keelie customers, who liked a little bit of sauce with their dinner.
Thanks Allira.

Galaxy

I don't do that though and as someone who was endlessly called a bigot for suggesting women need spaces of their own, I view that word with wariness.

So was I, but how can we say we are not bigoted unless we believe that bigotry exists?

I fully appreciate that free speech and tolerance is a two way street, and I have said myself that calling people stupid (or uneducated or ill-informed feeds the extremists); but it is becoming increasingly difficult to express a point of view on here without being up against the nullification of anything but the blandest of vocabulary. It makes attempts at discussion pointless, and puts me off bothering, to be honest.

The Labour Party MUST surely have a viable, effective alternative to Keir Starmer somewhere in it's ranks. So far, all he seems to have devoted himself to is trying to cosy up to President Trump and try to clamp down on free speech in the UK.

There were some violent trouble makers there yesterday, and they have been/will be arrested and rightly so.

There were over 100,000 people on the Unity march, to accuse them all of being violent racist thugs is stirring up more hatred.

If large numbers of people are concerned about illegal immigration why not organise a demo that isn’t a declaration of rampant nationalism and not done in the name of Yaxley Lennon or Elon Musk.
Am all for marches and demos so why not organise one that isn’t about racism and is about a political issue.

Keir Starmer has spoken out against the actions of TR but not strongly enough imo.
I know this violent chaos yesterday is the last thing he needs with all the other things going on but he needs to address the nation on this as we can't have Tommy Robinson spreading hatred.

And yet Starmer called us ‘an island of strangers’.

Quote theworriedwell Sun 14-Sept-25 14:39:35
She was as poor as the rest of them, I wasn't born. Being stupid has nothing to do with being poor, plenty of poor people saw through him. Would you want gold bath taps when you hadn't got a bath?

What a horrid woman, I certainly don’t believe the “gold taps” story and being poor certainly causes lack of education, the 30’s , !

Maremia

Preserving British culture? Footage on social media showing a flag clothed gentleman and his friends consuming delicious onion bhajis on his way to yesterday's family festival.
Which part of England was it that created such tasty cuisine?

Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Glasgow!

And GrannyGravy too, as well as M0nica whom I answered previously.

The majority of people in this country are not out protesting on the streets, they are trying to get on with their lives, concerned about their families and their futures, getting on with their neighbours of all nationalities.