"Personally I'd have said that Britain is much more racially intolerant than France,"

That might be your feeling but I'm sorry to say that it isn't true.

Apart from the noticeable success of the far right in france under Jean Marie Le Pen, I have had numerous conversations with French Algerians, Moroccans and Lebanese living in England who say that they prefer it here because they are, as a rule, left to pursue their religion in peace, whereas in France they are often subject to more frequent and invasive police harassment not to mention more suspicion from non Muslim French folk.

I believe that England is the most grown up country in europe when it comes to race and immigration. There is BNP support, and there is racism, but peoples attitudes are generally a bit more open over here.

Even Holland, the alleged hippy capital of the world, has its fair share of right wingers. I've witnessed more skinhead activity there than I have in England and they have at least one ultra right wing rep in their parliament.