The Far Wrong

I was a white settler in the first wave of English immigration to northern Scotland in the 1970s. We were different in the way we looked, how we spoke, and the way we behaved. I could never disguise my accent despite trying hard. In casualty, a patient shouted “I not seeing an English ^******.” My Asian colleague and I smiled at each other. Discrimination is a multicoloured affair. I love Glasgow and it is my home but I will always think of myself as English.

When the British National Party (BNP) won seats in the council elections last week I felt a sense of disgust and went rummaging for my rusting anti-Nazi league badges.

It's been nearly 30 years since the far right was this active in Britain. In the late 1970s, mass unemployment following the closure of many traditional industries saw the splintering of working communities. Resentment spilled over into street confrontations.

Immigrants have few choices and generally end up living in social housing in the inner cities. Even for well educated and hard working immigrants, it can take a generation to climb the social ladder. The problem is that the most disadvantaged and the least well equipped in society end up shouldering problems arising from rapid social change. Lack of understanding, poor communication, and poverty lead to resentment and frustration on all sides.

Is this resentment racism? In my experience of over 10 years in an inner city this is an oversimplification. For all of us in the middle classes who are deeply offended by the BNP, it is important to remember that we are largely spared the pain of social change. Immigration offers us great cultural opportunity and a cheap source of skilled labour, in contrast to the impact on the working classes who may feel their jobs are under threat.

What can be done to prevent the march of the far right? It is important not to dismiss this vote of protest. At the very least, grievances should be heard, whether they are legitimate or not. Doctors and nurses working in the communities affected have an important role in listening and in leading and maintaining the traditions of tolerance that have generally prevailed in the UK.

Integration will come but this will take time. A new type of Britishness will emerge from the inner cities, just as in times gone by. My children will think of themselves as Scottish.