I can be in any bar in England and there is one sure fire subject that can bring people to blows. Race. There are few other subjects which can give rise to such reaction other than comparing a mans mother to something unmentionable. The sum of defensiveness on both sides is actually that both sides attack each other. Could it be that our non-acceptance that race is central to our culture and politics, rather than a peripheral , is the cause for our panic.

I haven’t got the answers but I resent not being able to ask the questions. A tidal wave opinion swamps Britain. They spend half their lives denying that race is the issue and the other half giving judgments on the state of the nation and the other races within it.

Many will say “I am not racist I have a black friend”. This is not dissimilar to saying “I am not sexist I have a girlfriend”.  The latter we see as ridiculous. The former has been widely accepted in England.

It says it all. We all become experts once something happens.  And previous to that we revert to default. And history tells us that English default is nationalism which unfortunately and unnecessarily percolates into hot and steaming  racism.  i have the right to say this, you see, because i have got a lot of black friends.