In another thread I requested the advice of the STW massive on the subject of moving/retiring to Northumberland. As the time approaches, and Brexit approaches quicker, I am seized with doubt, because MrsJ is one of those dirty forriners that we want to get rid of when we take back control of our borders, if not our bowels. Northumberland seems to be Leave-land, so I am concerned that she will be subject to unpleasantness – if not official then at least nasty looks, rude comments etc. In fairness, I will probably be subject to similar, being an outsider from N Yorks an’ all.

AIBU ??

Northumberland is, apparently, not very nice and Drac urges you not to go there.

I don’t think that people will be having witch-hunts for foreigners after (if) we leave the EU.

I bet some arseholes do.

Well my BIL is Welsh and he seemed to be accepted.

Lol. I’ve never heard Northumberland called leaveland! Which bit? It’s a very very big county with huge variations in built up ness, politics, demographics and wealth.

I have found leave voting to be a reasonable barometer of what an area will be like. Possiblely a bit of confirmation bias but it’s stacked up pretty well so far. I wouldn’t be rushing to move to one but it’s only one of many factors to take into consideration

I live in Leaveland. New Forest had a high leave vote. It is also not coincidentally Toryland. It is also selfentitledhorseriderland.

I have a foreign wife too (Belgian) but as she is white and has no accent I think we have got away with it.

Doesn’t seem to be a problem though and I like living where I do with forest straight from my door and lots of traffic free gravel roads.

Avoiding Leaveland doesn’t really give you all that many options in England, sadly.

Surely in most leave-land areas there are roughly 50% of people who didn’t vote leave? Also, in most remain-land areas there will be roughly 50% of people who voted leave.
Without going in to the actuals of individual voting areas I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine, just choose your friends wisely.

In fact, on this map Northumberland looks to be close to the 50% vote:

As a remain voting Scot no less I moved down from the ‘motherland’ to NW England in 2012 to be with my partner who as it happens is French. For what it’s worth, my area voted strongly to leave but the people here are and always have been warm, very welcoming and brilliant to me and my wife. We now have children here and have no plans to move. Make of that what you will.

Yeah, most immigrant anger is directed towards ‘other’ immigrants.. not like you, you’re alright, just those other kind…

Yeah, most immigrant anger is directed towards ‘other’ immigrants.. not like you, you’re alright, just those other kind…

This would be my experience also, living in ground zero of Vote Leave land with a wife who is one of those horrible foreigners. However, she is white so I think that gets you some leeway.

I live in Horthumberland.

One of my neighbours is a Romanian. I haven’t seen any mobs with pitchforks outside her house.

My other neighbours are from Kent, they seem quite happy as well.

In fact I think the OP is being absolutely ridiculous.

Like any small rural/coastal community that has undergone massive changes in the last 50 years and relies almost completely on tourism for it’s income, there are some issues, property prices being one of the main one’s. Some of the older locals still resent the changes but the younger ones accept things as they are and understand that this is how things are now.

The fact is there are **** everywhere, and there are nice people everywhere. Pick and choose who you hang out with.

If it comes to it you can simple apply for passage over the newly constructed border wall on the Carter Bar (Hadrian’s v2.0). Indeed there will be plenty of smuggling opportunities in those remote reiving borderlands once a newly independent Scotland rejoins the EU, fun times. Watch out for yourself though as an Englishman’s head may again have some value.

Personally, I wouldn’t take the risk. Most of Leaveland is likely to be hit worst by brexit. Unemployment rises = a lot of crazy *&£€ going down.

The thing to bear in mind is the size of the community you are moving to. Small communities, in general, dont like new people and will give a “nice but keep your distance” vibe. The bigger the town/city the less likely it is for that to happen. Northern Ireland is a prime example of this. I could also tell sime horror stories about what my friends have encountered in “open” germany.

I am concerned that she will be subject to unpleasantness – if not official then at least nasty looks, rude comments etc.

That view isn’t restricted to “leave land” that’s UK wide view, wherever you come from irrespective of colour/nationality or creed.

The UK is full of nasty narrow minded individuals.

Anyway, Northumberland is a very nice place to live. I’d go if that’s what you want to do.

Avoid Dudley and Solihull and you’ll probably be OK.

the OP’s attitude might be more of an issue than that of the locals in Northumbria in terms of the response he’ll get

I’m sure his wife will love it there

“I have 6 kids and I’ve worked errrr.. most.. of my life”

Sweet baby jesus and the orphans. Depressing clip that.

Surely in most leave-land areas there are roughly 50% of people who didn’t vote leave? Also, in most remain-land areas there will be roughly 50% of people who voted leave.

Not really. Round here it was over 80% remain. Some leave areas were well over 70% out. I know where I’d rather be. Obviously it’s a big generalisation and the closer you get to 50/50 the less the impact. It’s just one more thing to consider

I live in the southern end of Northumberland and it is about 50/50 down the pub between leave and remain.

We all still manage to have a pint together and talk politics without any fisticuffs.

the OP’s attitude might be more of an issue than that of the locals in Northumbria in terms of the response he’ll get

Well, if the prevailing sentiment is that it’s all my fault, I’m sure she will be in her element!

Your simple beliefs suggest an ignorance and stupidity that should see you fit very well with the type of people you think live there. On the other the people who actually live there may not take kindly to your narrow minded prejudice.

My simple beliefs:

Foreigners experience racism
“Leave” is a racist project.
Some areas in NE England have a higher-than-average Leave-voting record

hence: Other things being equal, foreigners are more likely to experience racism in NE England than in, say, London.

Not sure which of these is a “narrow minded prejudice”. Of course it may be that holding racist views does not automatically translate into racist actions. As someone commented above, people can assume that the “bad” foreigners are “not you”.

We all still manage to have a pint together and talk politics without any fisticuffs.

… until you point out that Europe is not flat.

Foreigners experience racism

How does that work if they are of the same race?

“Leave” is a racist project.

Not all “leave” voters are racist.
Some “remain” voters are racist.
Some people are dicks.

“One of my neighbours is a Romanian. I haven’t seen any mobs with pitchforks outside her house.”

Presumably they’re all inside the house. They can be a little like that Romanians.

How does that work if they are of the same race?

Check out the definition of racist and you’ll find that discrimating against people of the same race but of different origin or nationality is racist.

“
‘racial discrimination
’ shall mean any distinction, exclusion,
restriction or preference based on race, colour
, descent, or national or ethnic origin,

I live in a different part of leave-land and people of all ethnicities are generally perfectly friendly to anyone and everyone. I’m about 10 or so miles away from one of the only towns or cities in the UK where white Britons are a minority…and they voted overwhelmingly to leave. It’s far friendlier around here than darrrrnnnn Sarrrrrfffff in neo-Marxist remain-land…especially if you’re Jewish.

I worked in a school in one of those places where Britions are a minority, Leicester. Some of the ethnic minorities were not very friendly to anyone and positively hated some others.

Jeremy Corbyn “has fought racism in all it’s forms”, a bit odd that he is a leaver since 1973

like I said, I don’t think Northumbria will be a problem for the OP’s wife

“Leave” is a racist project.
🙄 Obviously! Makes my Iraqi neighbors racist and my youngest sons best mates family (from India) racist , oh and the lovely Iranian bloke at the sweet shop he’s a complete racist . Must be they all voted leave.

Small communities, in general, dont like new people and will give a “nice but keep your distance” vibe. The bigger the town/city the less likely it is for that to happen.

What utter utter crap.

The problem with big cities is they tend to get ghetoised. I doubt you’l find any recent publications that use the word gheto but back in 2005 the Guardian still dared:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/sep/23/race.world

The predictions were pretty acurate.

Oh, and Leicester voted remain IIRC

🙄 Obviously! Makes my Iraqi neighbors racist and my youngest sons best mates family (from India) racist , oh and the lovely Iranian bloke at the sweet shop he’s a complete racist . Must be they all voted leave.

Because foreigners can’t be racist. I see.

TBH it’s an crap place, nothing to see or do and not right for southerners either (basically the rest of England)
There will be mud on the road, tractors everywhere and people speaking funny that you won’t understand. Steer well clear….

Not all “leave” voters are racist.

Some certainly are, but most I know just dislike the EU as an institution and think the UK would be better of out of it. Nothing really to do with “foreigners” at all.

I understand your concern, it’s definitely a hostile environment at the moment for “foreigners” and there’s a lot of uncertainty. I lived a village outside Berwick for a while and had friends of different ethnicities, whilst the locals were surprised they were friendly. I now live in Scotland and we have had overt, aggressive and institutional racism