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Anglophobia should be recognised as a form of discrimination like Islamophobia says Conservative councillor

16 Mar 2022 2 minute read
England’s flag

Hazel Lawson, Local Democracy Reporter

A Conservative councillor has called for Anglophobia –  prejudice against the English – to be recognised as a form of discrimination like Islamophobia.

Claire Feaver made the plea as her council in Scotland agreed unanimously to adopt a definition of Islamophobia, set out by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims at Westminster.

“I think we also need to recognise along with Islamophobia, Anglophobia,” she said.

“As a minority group in Moray, I get more emails and telephone calls from people who’ve suffered from Anglophobia and I’d like to flag that up.

“Anglophobia is there all the time, numerous constituents over the last five years have come to me asking what we’re going to do about this.”

‘On the hoof’

The notice of motion on Islamaphobia was put forward by council leader Graham Leadbitter (below) following a request from the Muslim Engagement and Development group.

It will help the local authority strengthen its equalities responsibilities by eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation of Muslims, promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations between communities.

He said it would not be appropriate to change the wording to include Anglophobia as a lot of work had gone into agreeing a clear, well researched definition of Islamophobia.

“We would all agree any form of discrimination is completely unacceptable,” he said. “It’s a particularly insidious form of abuse.

“But we are at risk if we randomly add bits to this motion because there are many areas it could cover.

“For example, we could add gypsy traveller discrimination, which is significant and widespread.

“I’m not averse to having [Anglophobia] incorporated into the council’s policies, I just think it needs to be done correctly.

“If there is a definition to be incorporated then we need to know what that definition is. I don’t want to make that up on the hoof.”


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Phil
Phil
2 years ago

Everyone’s a victim nowadays………..

Cathy Hill
Cathy Hill
2 years ago
Reply to  Phil

People are so thin-skinned these days…… 😉

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

You’ve gotta be joking right? We’ve had centuries of discrimination, if you think the English are being decriminated against just remember the old 19th century ‘Welsh Not’ hat to see how far back our discrimation goes ! And if your aim, in wanting anglophobia classed as discrimination, is to stop us criticising you for years of neglect – think again! We are poor and it is because of the actions of our neighbour.

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago
Reply to  Steve Duggan

Steve, With apologies for the cliche, ‘I know where you’re coming from’. However … … I’m sure you will agree that discrimination against the Cymry dates back to the founding of our nation. Look at the comments of the so-called ‘Venerable’ Bede who had to square the circle of supporting the (pagan) Anglo-Saxons and their massacre of the monks of Bangor-is-Coed. Or the ethnic cleansing promoted by Edward I to build his castle in the ‘Beau marais’ at Biwmares/Beaumaris. Where were the Cymry re-settled? On the poorer ground of Niwbwrch/Newborough – hence the name. Then there are the Penal Laws… Read more »

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago
Reply to  Welsh_Siôn

I totally agree the discrimation goes back centuries ! Thanks for the book recommendation.

George Bodley
George Bodley
2 years ago
Reply to  Welsh_Siôn

It goes farther back than that

Welsh_Siôn
Welsh_Siôn
2 years ago

Can we have a Cymrophobia policy, too, please?

And one with teeth.

Diolch.

(We’ve been waiting centuries for one.)

Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

I have Toryphobia. Guilty as charged.

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

Aww, those poor invasive thieves who look down on everyone else and have a massive superiority complex. My heart bleeds after all the real life abuse every Welsh person has had to go through because of them.

Dave
Dave
2 years ago

racism and xenophobia are encapsulated under the banner of “Hate Crime” you Tory plank so “Anglophobia” is already recognised as “a form of discrimination” and therefore a “Hate Crime”. However because the Tories have cut the number of Police there is nobody left to prosecute it. I can’t believe people vote for these people #IndyWales not to get away from the English, just to escape the morons in the Tory Party.

Gareth
Gareth
2 years ago

They should get a sense of humour, as it’s only banter. lol.
Now where have I heard that before, let me think.

Cathy Hill
Cathy Hill
2 years ago

The thing is, aside from all of the hypocrisy of a Tory councillor saying this in light of what her party stands for: the conservation of The English Establishment* and all the horror, genocide, injustice, torture, hatred, subjugation, racism, butchery, destruction, thievery and divers other vile crimes meted out on the various peoples of this archipelago and across the whole of the Earth to ensure that that Establishment remains in existence up to this very day and all the absurdity of that in and of itself. All of that aside, it is one thing to have a culture war, it… Read more »

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
2 years ago

You still cucking for your tory overlords?

Phil
Phil
2 years ago
Reply to  GW Atkinson

?..What’s that all about? Explain yourself, please.

Kerry Davies
Kerry Davies
2 years ago

Why are people Anglophobic? Saves time waiting for the English to prove their obnoxiousness.

Malcolm rj
Malcolm rj
2 years ago

I wonder why people from around the world call the Union Jack the butcher apron

Cynan
Cynan
2 years ago
Reply to  Malcolm rj

Personally I refer to it as the multicoloured sphincter, but yes, Butcher’s Apron is more popular

Richard
Richard
2 years ago

We need the Anglophopia Commision chaired by our own Grayham to see there is fair play

Erisian
Erisian
2 years ago

What we really need is a more apt suffix for predjudice.
A phobia is an irrational fear, not a hatred, and a crass euphamisn.

Rob
Rob
2 years ago

Knowing the Tories anyone cheering on France against England in the rugby on Saturday then that would be classified as Anglophobia. But there is plenty of Cymrophobia around as well. I’ve known people that voted No to devolution because they ‘didn’t like the Welsh’ or don’t believe that we are capable of governing themselves. People who move to Wales and complain about locals speaking Welsh. People who realign their aerials to pick up English regional programming because they don’t want to watch Welsh programming. I’ve even known people to complain about pubs showing the Wales game and not the England… Read more »

George Bodley
George Bodley
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob

They do the same when migrating to places like France and Spain it’s in their DNA

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

This is a typical distraction from the tories, it is a well reported fact that they have a serious issue with institutional racism, especially Islamophobia, so they use the same tactic as other racists have used with the “all lives matter” attack on BLM movement. They should perhaps return to their history books to discover why the Inglish are despised around the globe.

Cofid
Cofid
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Claire Feaver needs to read up on what racism actually means. It usually refers to the actions/attitudes of the oppressor- not those of the oppressed.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

Sorry, but the English are largely the perpetrators of any discrimination, not the victims of.. We Welsh should know. Invasion of Wales 1283: The English monarch Edward the 1st attacked maimed and murdered Welsh men, women & children in his ethnic cleansing of Wales. He also murdered the last native ruler of Wales, Llewellyn ap Gruffudd in 1282 later installing English princes to rule over us Welsh thereafter. Act of Union Wales 1535/1543: England annexed Wales. Removed our sovereignty. Dissolved our Welsh Laws of Hywel Dda codified before the English & England existed. Banned the Welsh language and anyone holding… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Y Cymro
hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

Why are you sorry ? If a Sais gets a bit of a verbal going over today it’s driven by a sense of cumulative wrong – abuse, scorn and downright exploitation. There have been numerous Welsh who have done well out of this unequal relationship but generally by adopting the English identity – assimilation. Today the pressures of assimilation are as great as ever by overt and subtle means. No good apologising for responding to it.

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
2 years ago
Reply to  hdavies15

It is the same as what the Putin Kremlin regime intends to do with the Ukraine.

  • Imperialism and assimilation into the ruling occupying power.
Llefain
Llefain
2 years ago

So desperate to make themselves victims.
Largest group. Most power. Never faced persecution or discrimination. But nope, so desperate to validate their personal grievances as legitimate victimhood and force others to coddle them. Proof in itself that they have no idea what it is like to face discrimination or bigotry with any bite behind it.
But remember, everyone else is just a snowflake, can’t take a joke, needs thicker skin, or has a chip on their shoulder.
It is not the powerful majority that needs protection from marginalised groups. Makes a mockery of true concerns.

Tarquinne
Tarquinne
2 years ago

I am England. I live well because I exploited others for centuries. Don’t be mean to me though.

Cynan
Cynan
2 years ago

Poor picked on English. They have such a hard time. And them being so nice to everybody else too!
In fairness, most English people I know are great. But this is not about them is it? It’s about Tories trying to undermine those who stand up for themselves

Ernie The Smallholder
Ernie The Smallholder
2 years ago
Reply to  Cynan

Tories in the UK are the same as the United Russia (Putin) Party in Russia.

There are people in England that are horrified what is happening under the Tories.
There are people in Russia that are horrified what is happening under Putin

Paul
Paul
2 years ago

The Race Relations Act 1976, Part 1, section 3.1
details “nationality” and “national origin” as part of the definition of “racial group”.
So it is already illegal.
link to text.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/74/enacted

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
2 years ago
Reply to  Paul

I have never had any of my complaints of anti-Welsh comments upheld.

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
2 years ago

So should Cymrophobia be recognised as a form of discrimination too

George Bodley
George Bodley
2 years ago
Reply to  Stephen Owen

It already is

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
2 years ago
Reply to  George Bodley

I have never had any of my complaints of anti-Welsh comments upheld, so I don’t know how you think that.

George Bodley
George Bodley
2 years ago

She’s having a 🦒 just read an article on here about Johnathan Meade’s attitude towards the Welsh language. She should read a bit of history about the cultural genocide by the English towards the Welsh typical little Englander comment

Phil
Phil
2 years ago

I hope Grayham has read this!!

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