Quote "Odd how one little fact on immigration never gets mentioned: the "ancestral" passport schemes that allow "white" people from around the world to claim European citizenship, without any of the requirements placed on non-white immigrants."-
Anamika, London, UK

You are missing the point- The crux of the problem is that indigenous people loose their sense of home in a variety of ways not just from the economic deprivation caused by mass immigration. An equally important issue is the physical and cultural makeup of a community and the simple fact is that those with European ancestry and a set of Judeo Christian values are much better absorbed than those from other heritages. At the end of the day, it's all about a losing a sense g home. Mass immigration policies and immigrants who fail to embrace their adopted homes are Imperial Colonialism and colonials by other names and possibly more destructive in the long run.

Richard, Europa, Europa

Its high time our settled immigrants joined with us Indigenous British and vote together for the British National Party.
How about it you settled, patriotic, non-indigenous folks?
Are you with us or with the treasonous liblabcontrick?
Think about it, please.
May 1st - BNP.

Arthur, Swindon, England

"I get rather tired of the Left's 'clever' observation of the irony behind the comment by some that in view of the level of immigration they have decided to emigrate.
Time and again they miss the point that for many people they simply do not identify with what this country has become. These people believe they will have more in common with community values in San Francisco, Sydney, Auckland or Vancouver than with Luton or High Wycombe.

Because of this the Left simply doesn't understand the nature of public concern, discussion and debate."

And how did the population of San Francisco Sydney etc become equal with British values? Did the indigenous people vote to be flooded with Brits? NO! so that is the issue Brits thinking they own the planet and insulting anyone who does the same thing they are doing. if you people really care about indigenous cultures as you claim maybe you could extend the BNP policy of repatriation from Australia, USA back to Britain,

raymond, the norf, uk

interesting map- but the map of Swansea is missing

j.preece, swansea, uk

Oh dear. Trevor has got himself into mess - a victim of the law of unintended consequences. Powell's speech is not responsible for suppressing debate. We are, for allowing it to be supressed. A mature society would have had this debate long ago and moved on. We have allowed our politicians to dilute our core "christian" values and promote multi-culturalism - ghetto-ising swathes of our cities. We have made too many concessions to loud single-interest lobbyists. We have created an underclass of unemployed and unengaged young people (of all races) who would rather accept benefit or commit petty crime than do the jobs the immigrants sign up for. And we have opened the door for the intolerant far-right who will agitate in the name of a Britain which is a warped and distorted version of what it could and should be. Wise, good and honest people need to stand up to the thugs (and their fellow-travellers) of the far-right and the bien-pensants of the loony liberal left.

Tim, Kingston,

An important related issue that needs to be addressed is the difference between equality of treatment and equality of outcomes.

Equality of treatment is justified because, except in a few, marginal, cases, it is irrational to treat different demographic groups differently because the differences are almost always irrelevant to the matter in hand. However, the currently trendy idea of forcing people to procure equal outcomes is oppressive of just liberty, irrational, and almost always at odds with the principle of equal treatment.

There is no particular reason why it is desirable for people of every conceivable demographic to have exactly the same economic outcomes as every other such demographic (irrespective of any difference of behaviour, priorities or preferences between them), and so it is improper to oppress otherwise unimpeachable liberty to force people to procure what would not otherwise naturally occur.

James E. Petts, Burnham, England

It's too late. I'm joining the 200,000 who left last year.

Moaning doesn't work. It'll take a couple of centuries for the place to become decent again. I aint got that long!

Trev, London,

It doesn't really matter what Trevor Phillips says, as he massages away. Large scale social confrontations are quite inevitable, in the future of this overcrowded island. Enoch Powell wasn't wrong. He was just rather inconvenient. It’s a pity we all didn’t pay a bit more attention, forty years ago.

Derek, Taunton, UK

Can you see the collapse of western society? I do everytime I click onto the Times.
So whats going to save it?
Prayer. Men are useless at governing themselves...history shows it. Its the "fallen" in the flesh!
Pray for Great Britain.
Encourage christian revival.
Stop picking on the PM and encourage him to encourage christian revival....and save the nation.

Graeme Gibson, Sydney, Australia

Our children are having to compete for school places, university places, jobs, social housing etc. with a massive increase of people from abroad, and while there may theoretically be a free movement of labour, it seems to us to be a very much one-way traffic. Our children are not competing for school places, university places, jobs or social housing elsewhere in the other countries from where the 50 plus different foreign languages that are spoken in our local school come from - we just want to be able to access what we have at home. It also seems that the resources that should be used for general benefit are now being targeted at immigrants' needs. And it seems that the key to unlocking benefits largesse is producing babies, as such it seems virtually every foreign woman has a baby in tow. There really should be stringent qualifying criteria, including a significant period of time and contributions before accessing support or benefits for all newcomers.

Penny, London,

That was an interesting and balanced read frmo Phillips; someone whose comments I have ofetn strongly disagreed with in the past. One additional point which he did not address however is that there is always a natural amount of distrust between the settled community and any group of recently arrived immigrants (as an expat I have seen this from both sides). It takes time for familiarity and understanding to grow before both acceptance by the host community and a desire for intergration by the immigrant community will occur. This process is drowned when the numbers coming are as great as they have been for the last few years. Thus hightened levels of mutual distrust remain, sense of community between groups is lost and a host of problems within society can arise. It is in some respects our anglo-saxon individuality that stops us addressing the issue from the standpoint of the need especially amoung the working classes for being a community.

DW, Beijing, China

You know, I can't actually remember anybody ever electing Commissar Phillips. His words of 'wisdom' are all part of this 'philosopher king's' new drive for socially-engineered 'integration' (after his last one for multiculturalism failed). The same kind of State-enforced integrationist approach has already been tried in the US and, again, achieved the opposite of it's intended outcome - as it will here.

When Phillips say "we", who is he referring to? Certainly not me. He can be as "British" as he likes. Good for the new "British". Never before has the "British" ruling class been so dislocated from those it purports to represent. They have surely got it coming to them.

Enoch Powell was, and I know this is cliche now, absolutely right. The whip-hand of race-legslation is being used firmly against the white man now. The BNP have highlighted this for years. That's why they exist and they happen to represent the real British people more than anyone currently in Westminster ever will.

Tony Rogers, London, UK

Funny how you can't mention the BNP on this forum.

Cowards.

Ben in Australia, Queensland, Australia

Rather than blaming Powell, Mr. Phillips should lay the responsibility for the breakdown in race relations squarely at the door of the Labour party. The deterioration in race relations has happened almost entirely in the last 10 years as a direct consequence of Labour's doctrinaire approach to multiculturalism. For government ministers to now berate a policy that their ideology foisted on an unwilling country represents breathtaking hypocrisy. The truth is that community relations are almost always better under Tory governments than Labour ones.

AA, New York,

Mention has already been made of the Government and the Media disregarding the public support of Enoch Powell at the time of his famous speech. Today - many years later the Government, and the Media in general are still afraid to speak the truth and are still not listening to the public........it is this that worries me. We all can't leave for Spain, France or Australia where you will find tens of thousands of ex-pats, many of whom departed this wonderful country because the Government and Media are just not listening about the problems of immigration and the forced multi-culturalism.

Sid, Milton Keynes,

In what is probably the last gasp of politically correct submission to anti-racist cobblers, all four 'major' parties in the London elections are supporting an amnesty for illegal immigrants - an idea rejected by over 80% of the British voting public in a recent poll. Is it any wonder that people vote for the only party to have consistently opposed immigration e BNP?

andrew sim, london,

What chance have we white working class people got in life in this country?, Harriet Harman , the voice of the current government stated on Thursday Question Time, that if they hadn't allowed the huge numbers of immigrants then quite simply Great Britain would have imploded as us white working class families were incapable of maintaining the country's great economic climate. So , according to the government, we have only ourselves to blame.They are of course , blameless and allowed millions of immigrants into our back yards in a short time to simply stop us from drowning. So , we merely have to put up and shut up.
I currently live in Birmingham, where thelocal town hall will colour itself according to what festivals are being celebrated, but of course they do not colour itself with red and white when its St.George's Day. Also can you remember the recent race riots between Muslims and Blacks in Handsworth, which resulted in casualties? Rivers of blood? how i laugh.

Jon Bell, birmingham, UK

A lot of irony here.

English wanting to emigrate because of the "forigners"; so they pack up and become immigrants themselves and pack up to leave for the four corners of the earth. Selling their UK properties, whose prices were buoyed by immigration and overseas money inflows- the benefits of a globalized commerce.

Second, the english threatening to vote for a quasi fascist party when not to much over 60 years ago, a generation of able-bodied men and women from the Great Britain and her Commonwealth (empire) was "lost" to fight fascism in europe.

Didn't the Indians,Poles etc. fight for you in your hour of need too?

Too bad militant islam brought things to such a pass.

Yvan, Toronto, Canada

gil, in tel aviv, you are quite wrong... the English are the most tollereant, balanced of races and did not invent slavery, nor are they anit-semetic, not rascist... but we are being pushed into a corner and it has to stop and be addressed.
My father fought on the battle of Cable Street in the 1930's, turning back fascists, and most of the people there were English... last year my sons rugby team walked off a game because a touring side from another european country racially abused one of his asian team mates... I have lived cheek by jowell with immigrants and the children of immigrants all of my life, but there are problems now... my daughter is verbally abused in the street by immigrants, my son threatened, the schools inundated, my asian doctor unable to cope, no dental spaces, deteriorating services, and I can't afford to buy my own home, partly because my pay has not risen for years because immigration keeps the labour market cheap... I am tollerant, but I need a real advocate!

rob, exeter,

To Tim, from Toronto,

I fail to see why the current generation of ethnic Britons should pay for the actions of their ancestors. If you are that worried about it, what are you doing living in Canada? Why don't you 'go home' to wherever you originated from.

Charles, Bath, UK

This government has adopted & promoted a policy of 'attracting all talents', whatever that really means. Initiatives like this always sound good but how it actually works out in practice is another matter, nor does the government care. Quite apart from this official immigration policy, there are also 000s of people who make it to these shores without papers of identification & there is nothing we could do when we catch up with them. Government policy here: best to ignore them if they are not causing a problem.
At the end of the day the test of a successful immigrant is how far she or he can integrate into the host society without causing resentment.

Ian, London, UK

Trevor dear, you are really trying to hard to justify your house position, more loyal than the king, perchance?

Edna, Brixton/London, England

Equality chief warns of race ‘cold war"

COLD war? Forget that! It does not take a rocket scientist to see that Britain is headed for an internal explosion that may well be very hot indeed!

Don't believe it? Just read the posts below!!!!!!

Garth Strong, San Diego, USA

What time limit did Mr Powell put on his insightful words coming to be?
Politicians often say time has proven him wrong however I do not recall Mr Powell attaching a time frame to his views.
In any case what exactly would you call the riots in Notting Hill, Brixton, Broadwater Farm, Oldham, Burnley and many more, let alone the decimation of British lives caused by crime as a result of the immigration of which he warned, if not early examples of the truth of his words.
Take a look at the Metropolitan Police and West Midlands Police "most wanted" if you need the evidence.

Frank McGill, Oxford, England

Gerorge, Bolton, England, said:

'Ihave just listeneded to the BBC News which referred to the "infamous" speech of Enoch Powell and later called it "notorious". The big advantage of listening to the BBC news is that one does not have to think for oneself: all the judgements are made and always in the left-wing direction. It is certain that the BBC will not remind its listeners that the London Dockers marched in support of Enoch Powell.'

I said exactly the same thing while watching TV today. Indeed I was horrified that The Beeb or Auntie, or whatever cosy name they like to call their private club, has the audacity to do our thinking for us.

I have just been blogging with some Chinese people recently and explaining about free speech and freedom of thought.

Perhaps the idiots at the BBC should take a running long jump to China.

Thank God this disgraceful, treacherous government is about to end.

Historically economic meltdown equals social meltdown.

joe, Berwickshire, Scotland

"We need to do more for young white men who are having to compete with clever Polish graduates,"

I'm comfused "Polish graduates" are "young white men". I think Britain owes much to Poland for its contribution in World War II.

Mohammed, London, Uk

If you want to stop the 'race cold war' then vote BNP. It's really that simple.

No other party can stop this. Even Phillips knows this.

Ben in Australia, Queensland, Australia

The most peculiar aspect of the entire "immigration debate" is the steadfast refusal by the political elites of this country to enter into it (and I mean "elite" strictly in an ironic sense, not as a reflection of any intrinsic qualities they have). They appear to have a cartel-like stance that denies the possibility of discussion, and have rammed through a series of policies that have opened our borders to some of the worts scum on the planet, and then given them rights that make them impossible to get rid of. Moreover, politicians do all this while saying it is beyond their control, and also while mocking those who complain as "xenophobic." It is a dangerous concoction - which might well, as Phillips points out, lead to violence as people become utterly sick of being ignored.

Nick, Rotherham, UK

I know of no black person, myself included who listens or much less agrees with the views of Trevor Philips!!

What exactly does this man do, and what exactly does an equality commisioner do apart from make contreversial statements based on race, with an emphasis on fear based terminology!!

I am not sure why i detest Sir Trevor, perhaps i think it is because i see him as a puppet rolled out to make statements!! What he says is trivial and obvious, and we all know what he is saying, but does it mean that just because he is black and the equality commisioner that somehow him making these comments actually helps at all??

I guess what i am trying to say is besides the occasional statement on the obvious state of race, what is Sir Trevor doing to battle equality????

David, Walton,

This present 'Rogue Government' has deliberately brought about this situation, for a number of disreputable reasons, not the least of which is exploitation and ultimately chaos in order to enact more draconian legislation.
It's time for this government to go, and take their immigrants with them, let them support them, we cannot afford to with low pay, high taxes, or even no jobs at all, it's time to end this madness.

Clive Burghard LANCING, LANCING, ENGLAND

Very good article and Trevor P always a sensible man. What does seem to be missing though is an understanding that however nice people are too many is too many . There are just too many of us. The debate should be about gradually reducing our population.If we need waves of people great do what other countries do, work permits for limited periods of time.And we need to remove incentives for and then tax having more than two children.

Chuck, Plymouth, UK

Where was Phillips 10 years ago, what was his advice to Blair and Straw then? This is way too late, seizmic shifts are already underway that will eventually see an earthquake.

JohnW, Oldham,

Its quite amazing actually to hear a black man commenting on the difficulties of the most forgotten group of all in this racial obsession calamity which is the British white male. I would go further and say the British white single hetro male. But he pretty much mentioned the working class who have all been forgotten and regardless of race the influx of immigrants affects us all.

This man speaks more sense than all the Ken Livingstones and Gordon Browns we have running around the UK who love to spout their multicultural credentials but always completely ignore certain groups which is surely insulting to many.

Well done Mr Philips, I salute you and agree with #nearly# everything thing you say which isnt bad because i rarely agree with any public figure.

Its high time this country started having the debate. Ive been around and its obvious we are so damned tolerant yet we are still regarded as racists by the nut jobs. its the ultimate insult. Debate is needed!

Anthony D, Stonehaven, UK

Who wisely decided to adopt multiculturalism ? Have they done a field trip to Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Israel/Palestine, and any other part of the world where different groups live in segregated neighbourhoods and adopt a "them and us" mentality ? What future for our children ? The fall of Rome was characterised as much by a revolt by the settled immigrant population as by attacking invaders at the gates of their city. There are now maybe a dozen countries outside England that are far more English than this green and formerly pleasant land. Although formerly secular, now looming toward fundamentalist, maybe we all need say a prayer for the future.

frank, slough, uk

1000 years to create the British culture through War, plague, ideological threats.. Labour have nearly destroyed us in 10 years.
You'll watch as your nation disappears before your eyes.
Your children will be a minority in your Fathers country.
Open YOUR eyes.
STOP VOTING for the LAB-LIB-CON!

Mick, london,

Glen, Johannesburg,
Well maybe the BNP in the UK could organise a world wide repatriation scheme with the other indigenous rights groups around the world whereby you and other British descendent in other countries across various continents can return home and every indigenous culture including the british can indeed get the independence we all deserved and there be real world peace.

raymond, norf, uk

Anamika of London. Please could you tell me what special privileges "white" South Africans get when emigrating to the UK. Please could you provide site details. It's just what I have been looking for. If my great, great grandmother was Scottish can I get a passport. Isn't it amazing how few "White" South Africans can live permanently in the UK, even though we are told to go back to where we belong.

Glen, Johannesburg,

Hey Tim, our Queen is your Queen Pal.

mrpastry, Romford,

"They don't speak our language, they stay in their own communities, they don't integrate into society and their food smells funny". This is what my Greek Cypriot taxi driver said about the Brits there. Perhaps the Brits aren't that different from the immigrants that they often critisise.

jay, reading, berks

Stop blaming immigration problems on the EU. It's a problem created by successive inept governments who saw immigration as a source of cheap labour to do the jobs that we didn't want to do. Go and read the British Nationality Act 1948 for starters.

If we, like other EU states, had implemented a proper immigration policy even 10 years ago then we wouldn't be having these problems now. There needs to be a registration system for all new EU immigrants who then receive a residence permit valid for so long as they have a job, once they lose that job, they lose their right to stay in the country. Then, the benefits should be cut back for everyone so that only the most-needy can claim, with regular assessments to check whether they still are entitled.

Paul, Guildford,

To all the Brits complaining about too many immigrants; i have been reading dozens of comments made in these forums (housing for example) by Brits who live in Spain, France, Czech Rep., Dubai and Hong Kong to name a few.

Take your people back, exchange all the foreigners for them, especially the professionals in London who keep the only internationally competitive industry afloat and then we will see!

T. Andre, just based in London,

Zen, London, you are right I have also noted this. A letter to the big boss would be interesting.

Roger, Surrey,

Viv in London, The referendum that you and I gave our votes to in 1975 was 'should we remain in the Common Market?' not should we join. I voted no to us remaining in, i suspect you did to.

Rupert, Whitchurch, UK

Immigration can only be good in the long term. Britain has always been a country of immigrants; new migrants will create a rich and right balance of different cultures and help Britain remain great. Politicians in the government are expert in deciding what is good for the country and that is why they adapt their immigration policies among other things; why should they do something that is not for the good of the nation. Have faith in the government you have elected and let them get on with what they know is good for the country. Be positive and enjoy being part of the country that has been shaped by immigrants for many generations and is one of the top 5 in the world due to excellent policies!

John, brighton,

"Blah, blah, blah......more attempts to distract us from the real issue - stopping mass immigration to start with. The majority of British people don't want it and never have."

And were the Native Americans, Southern African, Australian Aborigines, and Maoris ever asked if they wanted mass migration of Brits?

raymond, the norf, uk

I live in Latvia, one of the new EU members. When we had the referendum about joining the EU I voted against it – with one third of constituency. It is not that I am against Europe or democracy, but I thought that prices will go up and young people will go away. It turned out I was right on both points. I’m in my late fifties, and after paying taxes all my life I don’t understand who will be paying taxes for my pension in several years.
Latvia (and almost all the new members) was not and is not developed enough for participating in EU. EU bureaucrats knew about it very well but they just wanted to grab territories lost by Russia. The situation is bad for you and bad for us.
By the way don’t blame only EU. Every EU country has the right to postpone accepting immigrants from new members till 2011. But your so-called Labour government waved away this right.

Alex, Riga,

Gil, in Tel Aviv - The British invented slavery?? Crikey, the Romans, Greeks, Spaniards, Turks, Moors, Egyptians, Dutch, French must owe us a heapload of royalty payments then. Or maybe in your haste to show your anti-British credentials you just forgot to get your facts right.

Garley, London, England

Hey, it didn't seem to be an issue when you were doing it to other countries, like India, African and Caribbean countries. But when it happens to you, you get all upset.
Too bad, the shoe is now on the other foot.
Should have thought of this 100 years or more ago.

Tim, Toronto,

Oh the nerve of it, Trevor. You were the figure head of the movement that persecuted the English in their own land. The movement that promoted and facilitated mass migration into this tiny isle against the wishes of its indigenous peoples. The same movement that plotted to break Britain down into distinct and competing racial groups, and who promoted not harmony and assimilation but the bankrupt movement that is multiculturalism. And now it's falling apart.

What did you expect, Mr Phillips? You and your cohorts in the tax funded, multi-billion pound race industry have made a tidy profit out of this treachery. It's too late to try to placate the indigenous population. We won't fall for your empty rhetoric. We do not accept you as a guiding force, nor as a moral beacon. You call it a cold war, but it's only just begun and it will get much hotter. I guess you will escape to your house in the Caribbean, with a gold-plated pension, when it all goes to hell. Welcome to Balkanized Britain.

Michael Anthony, Birmingham, UK

Yes Mr Philips-heres one person driven to the BNP because no-one was listening to me.

antony Graham, southport, England

Immigration Control will not stop immigration, as short anything short of the installation of an electric fence along Britain's perimeter will not stop people coming here.

What fundamentally needs to be addressed is WHY immigrants choose to come to this country. There is no truth in the suggestion that the majority migrants choose to come here toexploit our welfare provisions- no matter the tabloid scaremongering. But it does seem that many migrants seem to assume that the standard of living is higher here than other countries, that we are a land of opportunity, fairness and tolerance and seemed to assume that we are immune from economic and social strife like anywhere else. From conversations with friends and work colleagues, they are now starting to realise that we are not, and the only people that do benefit from hard-work and enterprise are often male, middle-class protestants, in a real-life manifestation of Weberianism.

Alarmingly, it looks like Trevor Phillips is right.

Darren, Greenhithe, Kent, U.K

we dont need more people in scotland but need to stop the scots leaving as with the rest of the UK. We are leaving because scotland has lost its way with all the immigration in to it. In abedeen you walk down the street and you don't hear english being spoken.

It is no longer a scotish city.

so as much as it pains me I want to leave as i feel i no longer i am part of the city I love

knight, aberdeen, uk

Neil Walker, you live in a country that because of its liberal believes has had two politicians carved up on the street by mad immigrants. Holland will have a moslem majority of Turkish by 2014 according to a recent survey, and are rounding them up , building holding centers, and shipping them out .
That said, do no politicians read these articles? The majority of us get no benefit from having an overcrowded island. Im voting for anyone who will address this catastrophy. We have schoolleavers who are uneducated because our schools cant cope with the money they get before having to cope with ten different lanquages in the playground, so our policy makers want to ship in replacements and write off our own. Im for pulling out of Europe, we never got a vote for this mess.

kenny Livitt, hove, multi racial uk

So Phillips thinks rivers of blood/hot conflict is not the same as cold war?

What Phillips has failed to address, so predictably again, are the fundamental problems within the black community which creates the alienation in the first place. It' s not immigration that does this, it's not the behaviour of other groups. It's not some kind of intrinsic minority-only problem inflicted by the rest of us on them, which miraculously the Chinese and Indian communities seem to be immune from, to their spectacular and admirable success.

There are conscious decisions made by groups and individuals within the black community concerning values, morality, behaviour, respect, employment, family, the law, punishment, parenting, economics, education and the role of men and women that causes the integration problems.

There are rivers of blood, there is a cold war right now because of this and Phillips needs to wake up and face it; better still, use his position to powerfully change it.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

Don't you think all this is a bit strange. Is it possible some secret organization is controlling things. Uncontrolled immigration on such a tiny island is detrimental to everthing we have spent centuries creating and hold dear. I'd liken the present situation to throwing dirt on a wound, don't expect it to heal. Dark forces are at work(no pun intended).This countries immigration policy is truly the work madmen.

Gareth, swansea,

To Gil from Israel - I do not think the Israelis are in a position to lecture anyone about how they should treat ethnic/religious minorities or to why they should have liberal immigration policies. By your arguement, the palestinians and your arab neighbours have a right to come to Israel.

Chris, LONDON,

Some of the people commenting here are ridiculous. There is Andrew writing from China, what are you doing in China? You are not Chinese!!!

Or Steve that emigrated to Hong Kong......how idiotic people are?

Immigration isn't the problem but the failure of the government to manage it.......The failure led to 1 million Poles coming to the UK in the space of 2 years and at a stroke equalled the numbers of Afro Carribeans numbers that was achieved over 40 years or so,

I hate the journey to work every morning so now, I take a lesser job with reduced money to save myself the misery of daily commute!

John Smith, London, England

Is there an English person deciding which comments make it onto this forum?

There are several comments which have not been posted.

I would suggest an immigrant is deciding which comments make it onto this forum.

Zen, London,

1) Powell made a speech that was rather over the top. But to suggest that this made political parties unable to control immigration is nonsense; the fault is their craven submission to political correctness.
2)There will always be some immigration & emigration. But the sheer volume of immigration in recent decades is unprecedented in our history - & this in what is already an overpopulated country.
3)The BNP is a semi-fascist party, which is likely greatly to increase its vote in forthcoming elections. The only good to come out of that might be to galvanize the other parties into abandoning their servile acceptance that it is politically incorrect to limit immigration. But don't hold your breath.

Dave, Wrexham,

The last Census showed that 43% of the population of the UK was white, male and English. How many white English males are employed in Trevor Phillips’s Equality Quango?
Trevor Phillips made a film entitled Slavery. It ignored all slavery except that practised by England and the US nearly 200 years ago. The long history of Black slavery was ignored and the practice of capturing your own kind, imprisoning them and selling them to white people for profit, without which the Triangular Slave Trade would have been impossible, was given about 5 seconds before being dismissed by Mr Phillips.
For the information of the ignorant fool who claimed the Brits invented slavery; Muslim slavers were operating in Africa from about 800 AD and stole an estimated 18 million Africans before the British navy all but stopped it in 1903.

T Fryer, Medway, Kent

I get rather tired of the Left's 'clever' observation of the irony behind the comment by some that in view of the level of immigration they have decided to emigrate.

Time and again they miss the point that for many people they simply do not identify with what this country has become. These people believe they will have more in common with community values in San Francisco, Sydney, Auckland or Vancouver than with Luton or High Wycombe.

Because of this the Left simply doesn't understand the nature of public concern, discussion and debate.

Michael, Berkhamsted,

For anyone to say this Country is not letting in too many is insane !
Open your eyes and look around it is obvious surely, I suggest a visit to the BNP website for all who are wary, the BNP is not just about immigration, its Housing, Law and Order, NHS, Education, Employment , Farming, Fishing, oh and the peek oil that I dont see the other partys discussing.

bert, chard,

At last! We are having the debate!

...but have we left it too late?

Phil, Epsom, Surrey

Enoch Powell was right.

I think we have known that for some time. The point is, what do we do about it now? Because we didn't listen to Enoch at the time despite absolutely overwhelming public support.

jo, london, uk

Oi Gil, Tel Aviv, Israel,

The British invented slavery????

That's the best laugh I've had for a long time.

Slavery was around long before the British got involved with it.

Read your Talmud. Moses lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. You should know that.

Furthermore, Britain was one of the first countries to make slavery illegal.

I suggest you do your homework before opening your mouth!

Jon, Kumamoto, Japan

I do not understand the comment that John Enoch Powell's words of prophecy have not come true.

John, Kenilworth,

This sort of debate always brings the BNP and its fellow-travellers out of the woodwork.

The fact is that we will never live in a monochrome, safe, monocultural society again. T^he world isn't like that any more. With change comes uncertainty. Diversity also means a less 'safe' society - its easier to manage somewhere where everyone is expected to be 'the sa,e'. |But how dull and tedious it would be.

Get used to the fact that there will be population shifts because of being part of the EU - and oh, the incongruity of those whose answer is to 'emigrate'. If other countries did what they want the UK to do, they would no doubt be told 'sorry, we are full'

Mike Homfray, Liverpool,

How can their be intergration when there is so much positive discrimination against the white majority by politicians and those in the manage the public services in this country? Powell was right and not matter what measures this country takes removing all whites the dominant section will be agreived by this policies which create segradation. Labour has always been weak on migration and that is the root cause of the problem.

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

The talk about it being "too late" is part of the problem here. It is never too late to reverse anything - laws can be changed, and we can pull out of the EU. The main issue preventing this at the moment is the lack of a suitable Party with real policies (rather than the BNP with their one issue policy) to vote for. Although, this is only a matter of time, and hopefully a new Party worth voting for will emerge soon (obviously we cannot rely on the existing Parties to change their policies).

Beware though, if a suitable Party with the interests of the English people doesn't emerge, we are all in for a gloomier future.

Matt, Blackburn,

If the range of comments here are anything to go by, philips is wrong that britain isn't a xenophobic country.

alex deakin, London,

For just about the first time in my life Trevor Phillips has said something I agree with.

But it won't change anything. Nothing ever does.

David, St Albans, UK

Trevor Philips seems to confuse himself - and us. On one hand he tells that there is not too much immigration - only failed policy - mmmhhhh - confused?

Charles Dowie, Epworth, UK

Immigrants who have had to jump through hoops to WORK in the UK legally have for years been saying that if nothing was done to address the problem of people illegally having access to services, housing, and claiming thousands of pounds in upkeep, we immigrants would all eventually be targeted. We've wondered how the Brits could tolerate such a situation, and our minds boggled. But any attempts at 'stopping the tide,' so to speak, were met with a powerful cry 'Racism!' from the Left. Now that the immigrants are our 'fellow Europeans,' it's suddenly ok to speak about immigration. Because it's not racist any more. Sweet. Typically, it will not be an arrival from a far off land, presented with a house and maintenance for his large family, as well as access to services without contributing a penny, who will bear the brunt of changing attitudes. No. It will be some foreign European check-out girl who has diligently been paying her taxes for years.

Merivel, London,

You can argue about the past and causes and effects but the fact is that the UK has become a cultural and religious gunpowder keg and it is difficult to see how that can be put right. We do seem to be pre programmed towards permanent civil strife. It is like watching a car crash in slow motion, knowing the result will be a disaster and being unable to do anything about it. Part of the problem is that the House of Commons has become unrepresentative, a democratic desert and MP's of every party seem to be living in a different world to the rest of the nation. The danger is that if Democratic representation fails the people may only be left with expressing their views by direct action on the streets. I find it difficult to be optimistic about the long term future.

Keith, Rayleigh, Essex

Immigration is an issue because we've had 10-plus years of growth based on myth. Every plane that has landed carrying real, bogus, dodgy foreigners has landed onto rich, financially fertile soil. Most of them don't care about GDP, inflation or other economic indicators. They see a rich country that can even stretch to giving benefits if one doesn't work. Wow!

Now things are getting tougher even for those on high salaries. The majority of immigrants who live from pay day to pay day with no back up are going to be the first to suffer. There will be social unrest.

First things first: GET LABOUR OUT

John, London,

In 1968 one of Powell's constituents voiced his concerns about the effect of immigration on his family-

"I shan't be satisfied till I have seen them all settled overseas. In this country in 15 or 20 years' time the black man will have the whip hand over the white man."

In his speech Powell quoted this man and said "I can already hear the chorus of execration. How dare I say such a horrible thing? How dare I stir up trouble and inflame feelings by repeating such a conversation? "

"The answer is that I do not have the right not to do so. Here is a decent, ordinary fellow Englishman, who in broad daylight in my own town says to me, his Member of Parliament, that his country will not be worth living in for his children. "

"I simply do not have the right to shrug my shoulders and think about something else."

No incitement to violence, nothing racist at all - just a duty to face up to and deal with a growing problem.

Was he right?

Please read the full speech - Google it

R Bingham, Lauzun, France

We all know that multiculturalism is destroying our country, and that most of us don't want to live in a multiracial state, yet why don't we have the courage to do anything about it?

Roger, Norwich,

Warnings, warnings, warnings !
Too late.
The problem is here, now and destroying our (uk - joke) society.
"Cultural diversity" is political doublespeak for "Explosive mixture" ... of people who never wanted that, being forced to live in each others pockets.

Sean, Coventry, UK

To Neil Walker in Holland, I have only been allowed ONE vote regarding the EU and that was when we elected to join what was the common market, a trading bloc between 7 european countries...I voted no. Since then our sucessive governments, against the will of the overwhelming majority of British citizens, have sold us down the river and signed up to agreements we would never have voted for in a million years. Consequently we have lost our sovereignty to an unelected bureaucracy in Brussels. The Poles don't have as much right to live in the UK as Brits, neither do Lithuainians, French, Germans or any other foreign nationals. The open border policy has been nothing short of disaster. I would love to get out of this wretched EU but I like several million other UK citizens am denied the right to vote....we are living in nothing short of a dictatorship!

viv, london, england

Odd how one little fact on immigration never gets mentioned: the "ancestral" passport schemes that allow "white" people from around the world to claim European citizenship, without any of the requirements placed on non-white immigrants. So a Colombian with no education but a Spanish grandfather gets a Spanish passport and the EU rules allow him/her to work in the UK without ANY of the conditions that a nuclear physicist or banker from India would have to jump through hoops to meet. Same for "white" South Africans who get special "immigration" privileges. Funny then that we are talking of immigration/racism....

Anamika, London, UK

Until we can control our borders and instill the notion in immigrants that this is not the land of milk and honey, immigration will increase and increase until there is civil war in our land. We already have a city, yes a city, were immigrants out number the British population. We must force through the ID cards, so at some stage we'll be able to say exactly who we have here. No benifits can be paid, no NHS treatment, driving licences, passports can be issued without production of a valid ID card. A major review of what benifits we as a nation can afford to pay immigrants and their families. A complete halt to immigration during the review period. If our nation is expected to take a bigger proportion of immigrants because of EU laws, then the EU has to stump up money to keep these people. Mr Brown needs to realise that he does not have a mandate from British people to send thier tax money to other countries. We have nothing against people from other countries, Not racism, just fair!

RayB , Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

We take any asylum seeker who crosses from France into this country with open hands & put them on benefit for years while we decide if they can stay or not.

We should all be asking WHY. Under international law asylum must be offered AND accepted by the first safe haven so how can people from outside the EU come through the EU to this country.

They should all be thrown out, back to France to deal with. The only asylum seekers this country should deal with should be those who come by sea or air who have not set foot in another EU country on their journey.

Phil, Castleford, UK

Over the last 40 years we have seen the failure of three important parts of any society - business to train, governments to be in touch, opinion formers to be rational and not spinners of baseless nonsense.
Since businesses don't train anymore there is a lack of a skilled workforce - so bring in labour (prererably cheap). Governments focus on these siren business voices and have betrayed the indigenous population. Opinion formers are frightened of being called racists and so stick to the myth that large scale immigration benefits and has benefited this country.
If Tibteans don't like their country being taken from them by Chinese immigrants why should the English?

Eddie Reader, birmingham, england

Blah, blah, blah......more attempts to distract us from the real issue - stopping mass immigration to start with. The majority of British people don't want it and never have.

Charles, Bath, UK

Er.....so Trevor Philips now seems to blame Enoch Powell for stifling debate and thus letting in millions of immigrants? As Private Eye would say: "Shome mishtake shurely?"

Dave, Notts, UK

casper Slides, Orwell's 1984 was not a prediction that was to happen in 1984. It was alluding to the 100th anniversary of the Fabian project which he was close to for a while. he saw how it would progress, got out of it and wrote his novel as an outline as to how the project would unfold.

mike, lincoln,

Wake up Mr.Phillips, you really ought to talk to the general public and the Englishman on the street! There is more tension surrounding immigrants and "foreigners" in this country than there there has been for many years. The strain on social services, free handouts that English nationals cannot have, increasing emmigration, ethnic minorities having their own way on matters because councils have to be seen to make the "correct" decision, increasing racism amongst our own English kids, divided communities everywhere, people frightened for the English future of this country. ........would you really want to predict what England in another 20 years time might be like?

Derek, Poole, England, U.K.

Met up with some friends yesterday for lunch, various topics cropped, and it sems our view also was that too many people have been allowed in, house prices are too expensive, cost of living in comparison to income is rising. Seems that our country for the people that are working is just work work, work for little benefit. (And we were all Indian origin).

Kris, London,

Balkanise a country and you'll get The Balkans - how could it be otherwise? But then why should the Harmans and Livingstones bother reading the book when they can gaze into the crystal ball?
I like the way it's all turning out to be Powell's fault, and that it's the white Europeans that are the problem. Are we really that stupid, or can we only discuss it in those terms?
Still, when the ordure really starts hitting the fan, I'm sure we'll draw real comfort from knowing that it was all done with the best of intentions - and in the best possible taste.

Ken Leyland, Liverpool, U.K.

I find it most interesting that in Australia, the UK, Canada, and in some other high immigrant countries find there national flags offensive by some. In America, immigrants if you ask me, have more American flags on cars or homes with/out another countries flag then natural borne Americans. My only guess to this problem is that by having so many SS and free health care programs allows someone to work less or not at all;thus not interacting with the rest of the population. Your country has 60 million people or so, and the NHS is the 3rd largest employer(1.3+ million). Just doesn't seem right for 1:6 ratio of health care workers. I could be wrong, but this is the only difference I could think of atm of the difference between American social system and the British one. I hope America never gets free health care as most Americans are seriously Obese . Melting Pots work, don't blame it.

John, Fairfax, Virginia

This is the fault of the politically correct bigots who prefer politically correct segregrations of favourite "victims" according to race, sexuality, gender and religion. They do not want fairness, equality and integration because these will diminish their patronising powers to keep their pet victims down in self-pitying state.

Carolyn, Surbiton,

Employment policy in Britain is a nightmare. Much lip service is paid to minority screening and diversity programs, but many immigrants are at the bottom of the economic barrel and wondering what they have to do to rise any higher. Education is not the answer, as one is then 'overqualified.'

Justified or not, there is the persistent belief that immigrants are only welcome in occupations that 'settled' communities do not want. Tensions begin when the adult children of immigrants leave school with the 'natives' and compete for the same jobs. Mr Phillips is slightly off base - few people complain about the Polish nanny or the Eastern European fruit pickers. The trouble is in the schools and then in the work force when immigrants born or nearly born here wish to raise their ambitions and earn a decent salary in rewarding work.

That, I submit, is the issue.

Diane Martin, London,

When will the brits understand that the Poles are not immigrants and have as much right to live in the UK as the brits. It was your choice to join the Eu and if you do not like it get out it is as simple as that. The big problem for you are the number of unskilled africans who are claiming so called asylum. We all know it is a con and until someone has the guts to stand up and say so it will continue. UK is now the worlds dumping ground and you will pay the price. I voted with my feet and left. I now live in a better society that treats it's citizens well.

Neil Walker, alemere, holland

I disagree with Rob below, the English have not been "welcoming" at all to blacks and asians with race riots all over the country back in the 50s. Since then racism and anti-semitism in the UK has always been a problem. I'm not saying that I neccessarily agree with all the free goodies that incoming immigrants receive but just look at how the English colonized the rest of the world, murdering, plundering, land grabbing and interfering throughout Africa, India, Palestine, China, the Carribean (and thats to speak nothing of "Slavery" - the British invention... the list goes on. Well now the chickens have come home to roost. English people owe a debt to the Jews, Blacks, Asians and Chinese that wish to use your country. This will not be me though, I would not live there if you paid me!

Gil, Tel Aviv, Israel

Ihave just listeneded to the BBC News which referred to the "infamous" speech of Enoch Powell and later called it "notorious". The big advantage of listening to the BBC news is that one does not have to think for oneself: all the judgements are made and always in the left-wing direction. It is certain that the BBC will not remind its listeners that the London Dockers marched in support of Enoch Powell.

George , Bolton, England

Trevor Phillips has now lost all credibility. For him to dare to suggest that Powell stopped immigration control is outrageous. It was Phillips and his liberal-left friends who spouted on about multi-culturalism and the benifits of immigration for the past 2 decades that prevented a debate on immigration. Now multi-culturalism has been 'officially' discredited by them we get the next liberal left mantra - 'permission to talk about immigration without being accused of racism'. When will these liberals butt out and stop preaching to the indigenous population what they think is best for us.

Craig, Huntingdon,

Too late Mr Philips, this statement should have been delivered some years ago ........ but then YOU would have been reported to the 'off the day' EHCR!

sandy saunders, Portsmouth, Hampshire

That was an interesting and balanced read frmo Phillips; someone whose comments I have ofetn strongly disagreed with in the past. One additional point which he did not address however is that there is always a natural amount of distrust between the settled community and any group of recently arrived immigrants (as an expat I have seen this from both sides). It takes time for familiarity and understanding to grow before both acceptance by the host community and a desire for intergration by the immigrant community will occur. This process is drowned when the numbers coming are as great as they have been for the last few years. Thus hightened levels of mutual distrust remain, sense of community between groups is lost and a host of problems within society can arise. It is in some respects our anglo-saxon individuality that stops us addressing the issue from the standpoint of the need especially amoung the working classes for being a community.

DW, Beijing, China

The government has been letting ANY legal or illegal immigrant come! The checks are a joke. Crime is up, children taking drugs are up (sold mainl by illegal immigrant gangs).

Our freedoms are down, the BBC shows us no freedom of speech, by not hosting Powells full unedited film clips.

We might be able to change the governement, but how do we change the BBC who keep lying to us over immigration, and only telling their side, spun to the hilt.

Where are the reports of the black/brown attacks on the whites ? Its being suppressed. We need to know the truth, which if told would make Powells fears seem like an understatement!

Chris Ashley, X Harrow, England

Sadly,
I will also be voting for closed borders and the encouragement of those who won't integrate to leave,.
I will also vote for anyone who repeals the 1998 human rights Act.

Dave, Chorley, UK

Steve, (Hong Kong) is right. I am living in China and I dread the day when I have to return to the UK (maybe for health reasons?) as I expect to be put at the back of the queue while immigrants get the cream of the treatment, money etc.
Britain and its politics/priorities are farcical except that I am not laughing.
Whatever happened to common sense?
It went many, many years ago.
At least in China I am free to lead my life as I want to without the nanny-state telling me what to do all the time.

Andrew MacArthur, Fushun, China (Liaoning)

Too late. Another former NUS leader pontificating from on high without any grasp of how the tectonic plates have shifted.

Fine words butter no parsnips. What will happen in this country will happen - the die are cast - we now steam ahead for a rendezvous with whatever destiny has in store. Trevor Phillips is reprising King Canute.

Bradford, Leeds, England

I think that the problem is non-europian immigrants who have a much wider gap with europian culture and a very sharp protectionist attidute. Balkan people are Europian and yes they have infected their mind with communist mentality, but in general they have a much closer understanding of English culture. Albanians are well known for religious tolerance and that is an shining example for all Balkans and the rst of the world.

Tom, London, UK

Everyone I speak to says "I am not a racist but" These are professional working people and quite frankly we are all sick of the influx. I wish I could turn back the clock to 10 years ago but I can't. A short sighted government opens the doors to all a forward thinking government controls immigration.

stuart, london, england

I feel very threatened and I will be voting BNP as they represent the only hope for our survival now.

Rob, London,

I've just read that the police have banned a St.Georges Day Parade from going ahead in Bradford, on Health & Safety grounds.It's nonsense like this that turns many people into an anti- imigrant mindset .Why can't English people in their own land celebrate their patron saint ?So often I hear that councils give pubs permission for longer hours on St.Patricks Day yet when asked for an extension on St Georges Day, it is refused.The list goes on and on with Christmas lights and decorations banned on H & S fears,whereas various ethnic festivals are strongly promoted by our councils.Is it any wonder people get angry and the whole race relations industry must take the blame by treating the English as 3rd class citizens in their own land.

Mike, Dunstable, England

Aren't you going to speak out against "operation black vote" Mr Phillips? Isn't that racist against white people or doesn't that count?

This directly racist organisation is being funded by tax payer money: http://www.obv.org.uk/

James, London,

Look at his history and his performance. Trevor Phillips has much to answer for in the way uncontrolled immigration has completely changed this Country.

Len, London,

Last year my 79 year old Brother (White) died and in his will he left £10-000 to the BNP. I was staggered and never knew his views.It just go to show the feeling in the UK. My partner is a 37 year old Indian and he feels that Commonwealth people are being discriminated agains and he does not go out alone here in Hove for fear of backlash. But in reality we are starting to hate our fellow Europeans .Dont underestimate the how many people feel that Mr Powell had a valid point.The cold war is here and can only get worse.

kenneth Lee, Brighton/Hove, Sussex

I left the UK several years ago. I cannot claim housing, social security or free health care in the country in which I now choose to live, I must work, which is fine by me. However there are certain benefits and free health care available for the poor and underprivileged indigenous poulation here. Why does the UK allow all and sundry to take advantage of it's social security and health care systems? It's common knowledge that foreigners routinely abuse the SS & NHS, claiming benefits whilst working or claiming for relatives and family who do not exist. Equity is all well and good, but of course ordinary indigenous Brits get very angry when they are apparently discriminated against in favour of foreigners. If I came back to the UK today claiming abject poverty could I expect to be given free housing? Is there a support group which would assist me? No, but if I were a foreigner in that position aid groups would be falling over themselves to help. It's madness and it has to stop.

Steve, Hong Kong,

It's a cold war now turning onto a hot war tomorrow. How naive for anyone to think they could take in millions of people in such a short time without trouble. This was unasked for and unneeded. There is no doubt that some employers have reaped the benefits but the rest of us have suffered. How can if be fair that someone who has just entered the Country can be diagnosed with diabetes and get free health care and free prescriptions for the rest of their life yet my partner who has paid taxes her entire life is diagnosed with cancer yet has to pay for her prescriptions and queue for treatment? Even queuing for a blood test means to watch hundreds of people from around the world waiting for their free treatment. It's very wrong.

Roger, Surrey.,

The point being missed is that the English people are a tollerant and generally welcoming race who admire and respect others.
We are by nature secular and balanced, with a long history of "common sense". So when there was an indiginous English population to absorb the immigrants, immigration was a workable project, however, many of the peoples who have immigrated here now form the community into which new immigrants settle, and they are not as tollerant, or as welcoming. They are prone to protectionism, and hostility to others and frequently have no history or culture of assimilating "others". In short, it is immigrantrs who are most hostile to immigrans from other places and cultures, and the balancing power of the English has been lost because they have gone! It is only a fool who thinks that by moving Balkan people to the UK, you will get them to intigrate with each oither, unless they have thousands of English betweeen them... the same is true of other races. The glue was English.

rob, exeter,

Too late now the damage is done. I've always been a Labour voter but this time I will be voting BNP and I know a lot of other people who will be doing the same.

mark, Leeds,

Maybe Powell's words have not come true yet but there is still time. George Orwell's predictions are becoming a reality 24 years late. With a rising immigrant population that is a burden on the taxpayer and record numbers of the idigenous population of Britain leaving in disgust, it is only a matter of time before Powell's predictions become a reality. It saddens me that we have allowed our country to slide into a melting pot where being British and being proud of it is looked upon as being sinister.

Casper Slides, London,

Too late. I've had enought of this country and its unequal rights for some. I know who I will vote for from now on.

Mike Jones, Farnborough, Hampshire

Powell was supported by over 80% of the population at the time according the the polls at the time and as reported by the BBC. We do not need to be worried that immigrants may not want to come here. We need to be worried that the government allows too many and of the wrong sort to come here

David Cartright, Birmingham,