FURTHER to Dr Ian McKee's letter today I think it fair to say that I have been taken to task more by SNP supporters, than by others, for saying that I want no more to do with the South of England. While living there I really felt me at home on the Continent, even in countries where I failed to master the language. When I was young it was alienation from English imperialism and more recently against the majority's blind loyalty to Margaret Thatcher.
However, my alienation is from the majority of Southern English people, not the whole lot. Even a Serb should be given the benefit of the doubt until found guilty of supporting Milosevic and justifying ethnic cleansing. In the same way I feel no prejudice against English people who do not idolise Lady Thatcher and the Tory right.
Let us not forget that present Tory anti-European policies contain a strong element of English racial prejudice against others, and that such prejudice is usually no less anti-Scot and anti-Welsh.
Like Dr McKee, I condemn prejudice against anyone on the grounds of race or colour. Unlike him, I have never considered myself English. My late brother married a Hungarian, and brought up his two sons to see themselves as half Scots and half Hungarians, and I have encouraged them to think this.
Robin Ball,
27 Morgan Street, Dundee. July 7.
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