Hugh

I live in one of those northern towns, and I disagree. There may be instances of frictions between different groups, but they had those in Glasgow and Liverpool (amongst others) in the 60's and 70's between Catholics and Protestants, and I don't remember anyone claiming that the UK would be over-run with left-footers within the next couple of generations.

I think the main reason that there is any possibility of "the country is fracturing along racial/cultural lines" is that people keep crying wolf for their own agendas, hoping to raise fear, uncertainty, and doubt amongst all members of society, to enable their own ends to be met.

Yes, there are issues and problems in areas of our communities, but there have always been social and cultural differences with immigrants to our shores, from the Romans, to the Normans, to the Huguenots, to the Commonwealth citizens of the Caribbean we invited in 50's and 60's - but it has all worked out in the end, because most people want to get along, and not use the fact that just because people are different, that does not make them "invaders" or "not brittish" (to quote earlier posters).