All White Now

I read an article that relates to BBC's White season, which asks 'is white working class Britain becoming invisible?' in a genuine attempt to uncover the truth about the matter, rather than just to stir up fear and suspicion in the poor and oppressed, where they could instil hope, education and motivation. The trailer for it shows a white guy having exotic scripture written over his face until he becomes 'invisible' (or blacked up). I thought it was a party political broadcast for the BNP. It suggests this season of programmes is little more than groundless provocation. Some white working class people may well feel disenchanted with modern society, but blame the government, instead of picking on people who aren't white and working class, and who have no power to change others' lives, but just want to live their own. I'm sick to death of the barely concealed undercurrent of racism in this country.

Sorry, I know that wasn't very light-hearted, but the whole business makes me feel rather despondent. Apparently the season has sprung from a Newsnight poll which claims that 58% of white working class people agreed with the statement "nobody speaks out for people like me", which is a nice open question. Interestingly, 37% (or 1 in 3) people asked this unbelievably loaded question, actually disagreed. Hardly a population on it's knees. As for those who feel 'marginalised', is it not enough that this country's biggest selling newspaper caters exclusively to their interests? I would love to see some of these people, living in 99% white market towns, to try being a foreigner for one day.

Another statistic that demonstrates the subjectivity of this poll is that white middle class people feel a similar level of disillusionment. That's right, even the people who run the country feel ill at ease. So what could possibly connect two groups with such differing recent economic fortunes? Oh yes, the fact that they're white and British, and therefore racist. And by the way, if you don't like airing your views on immigration because it makes you look racist, that's because you are. You perceive the world through boundaries of race and nationality that society has created to keep people apart. Unlucky.

Anyway, I think I've made my point, so here's today's fact:

Easington in Durham is the whitest town in England.

What's that? You've never heard of it? That's because it's a sad backwater of a place that nobody wants to move to (there are a few Poles, but as we all know, the British don't seem to mind the white immigrants quite so much). I do have sympathy for it's residents, who used to depend on industries that have moved abroad (now that's damaging globalisation - replaced countries with corporations) and now seem to have little direction, but it kind of sums up the problem with white working class Britain. If you'll excuse me for generalising somewhat, it seems like the demographic is awash with self-pity and finger-pointing. I work with white and non-white people on low incomes and the difference is tangible - I've never heard a non-white person, whether British or not, bleating on about what they're owed - they have just got on with it. I know there are exceptions, but that seems to be the mood at present - as someone says in the comments below the article, maybe white working class Britain IS becoming invisible, not because of government policy, certainly not because of other ethnic groups, but because they've got nothing to say...

And by the way, I'm white, I'm middle class, and yeah, I'm disillusioned too. I also don't feel I'm represented in the media - they seem to spend all their time stirring up the very xenophobes who claim to be marginalised. Do me a favour.