I think that you are exaggerating somewhat as HOL has hundreds of members primarily here to discuss football whilst there can't be more than a dozen who regularly post in the News & Politics with another dozen who chip in every now and again and less than a handful who regularly discuss racial matters

Post brexit we’ve had anti-immigration rants, pro-Tommy Robinson posts, a suggestion that all Muslims are potential sexual predators, anger at there being platforms for black people to celebrate cultures largely forgotten due to slave-trade and now people suggesting something as innocent as speaking in ‘black accents’ should exclude you from the job market.

Does HOL have an obsession with racism? When do you think it started to get so right-wing, bitter and scared of other cultures? I think brexit has given people licence to be far more vocal about their true feelings and ignorence. HOL always used to tackle delicate issues, with a real sense of debate. Now though, a number of posts come back to the same old tosh...an utter fear of foreigners or people with different skin shades or religions. Sad times.

Post brexit we’ve had anti-immigration rants, pro-Tommy Robinson posts, a suggestion that all Muslims are potential sexual predators, anger at there being platforms for black people to celebrate cultures largely forgotten due to slave-trade and now people suggesting something as innocent as speaking in ‘black accents’ should exclude you from the job market.

Does HOL have an obsession with racism? When do you think it started to get so right-wing, bitter and scared of other cultures? I think brexit has given people licence to be far more vocal about their true feelings and ignorence. HOL always used to tackle delicate issues, with a real sense of debate. Now though, a number of posts come back to the same old tosh...an utter fear of foreigners or people with different skin shades or religions. Sad times.

It's for this reason I have retired from this section of the HOL, but as this comment deserves my support I will make an exception. It's the same small group of posters banging the same old tired drums. They are not, in my opinion, representative of the general sentiment held by the people in the UK as a whole, although I am only too aware that there is a vocal minority who think as they do. Brexit, the election of Trump and the rise of popularism generally has given them the confidence to express themselves more openly.

I hope it is just a temporary phenomenon and they will again retire to the shadows. Of course such voices need to be heard but for them to dominate anywhere makes me feel very nervous for the future direction of civilised, progressive societies everywhere.

As, in my experience, there is no reasoning with such people the only way to handle them is to out vote them, using the long established methods embedded in our democratic system. Which, by the way, does not include referendums or threads on social media platforms.

Edited by Wisbech Eagle (13 Feb 2019 12.27pm)

Post brexit we’ve had anti-immigration rants, pro-Tommy Robinson posts, a suggestion that all Muslims are potential sexual predators, anger at there being platforms for black people to celebrate cultures largely forgotten due to slave-trade and now people suggesting something as innocent as speaking in ‘black accents’ should exclude you from the job market.

Does HOL have an obsession with racism? When do you think it started to get so right-wing, bitter and scared of other cultures? I think brexit has given people licence to be far more vocal about their true feelings and ignorence. HOL always used to tackle delicate issues, with a real sense of debate. Now though, a number of posts come back to the same old tosh...an utter fear of foreigners or people with different skin shades or religions. Sad times.