I wouldn't agree that Irish treatment of Irish travellers is irrelevant to this discussion. Prejudice and discrimination are common human failings the world over and should be fought wherever they appear.

Eliza. I'm glad that your husband is well received over here, and I for one believe that British people are generally more tolerant towards minorities than they were say 50 years ago. That is a view which has been based on my personal observations of living here, but also on research evidence. See for example Matthew Goodwin's writings on political extremism.

But by the same token, racism in football is on the rise again, as are attacks on ethnic minorities, gays etc. And, while the vast majority of people see straight through the various guises which the far right try to adopt, they too are on the rise again.

I won't live to see it unfortunately, but I long for the day when racism is just an obsolete word in the dictionary.