Why do I get told I’m “not English” more often whenever Reform does well?
Is this just coincidence because political discussions naturally bring out more idiots online? Or do certain political moments make some people feel more comfortable openly saying things they might otherwise keep to themselves?
I’m a mixed race guy, born and bred in London, I class myself as English. But I’ve noticed whenever Reform does particularly well in elections, or starts polling strongly, I seem to see a rise in people online confidently telling me I’m “not English.” Literally implying I don’t belong here despite being born and raised here, and having lived here my entire life.
But what makes me think it comes purely down to race is because I also have white English friends with foreign surnames, immigrant grandparents, identical political opinions to mine, etc, and they don’t get hit with the same “you’re not really English” stuff. That right there makes it hard not to conclude that for some people, this whole anti immigration push isn’t actually about birthplace, culture, or values it’s 100% down to ethnicity
And before the predictable replies come in, no I’m not saying every Reform voter is racist.
I’m also not saying voting Reform means someone thinks like this. I’m basically asking whether shifts in political mood can make certain types of rhetoric feel more socially acceptable to a minority of people?