Mass immigration has turned London into a city that is 'no longer English', John Cleese claims.

The former Monty Python star says he now feels like a foreigner walking through the capital's streets.

California-based Cleese, 71, moved to the U.S. more than two decades ago, having grown up in Somerset.

Outspoken: John Cleese, pictured with new girlfriend Jennifer Wade, says that he no longer feels at home in London

The comic was asked what he thought about British culture and the recent London riots during an interview on 7.30, a television show in Australia, where he is currently on a stand-up tour.

He replied: 'I'm not sure what's going on in Britain. Or, let me say this – I don't know what's going on in London, because London is no longer an English city.

'That's how we got the Olympics.

'They said we were the most cosmopolitan city on Earth. But it doesn't feel English.

'I had a Californian friend come over two months ago, walk down the King's Road and say, "Where are all the English people?"

'I mean, I love having different cultures around. But when the parent culture kind of dissipates, you're left thinking, "Well, what's going on?"

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032956/John-Cleese-London-longer-English-city-thats-got-2012-Olympics.html#ixzz1Wrm8utxl

i think this article also goes to show Boris is living on a completly different planet

A spokesman for London mayor Boris Johnson said: 'If the King's Road is jam-packed with foreign tourists then that is something we should celebrate.'

i think you will find they are not tourists boris

California-based Cleese, 71, (who) moved to the U.S. more than two decades ago, (said) in Australia...

...that there are too many foreigners in London.

You gotta hand it to him.

I think we can trust the Daily Mail this time, but I'm not sure we can trust John Cleese! Even in my day King's Road was pretty cosmopolitan.

But, relying as I do on secondhand and third-hand information, I do think that we let too many immigrants in. How come we got all the Asians, and Australia got all the Middle Europeans? I'm not being racist.... but they do blend in better. Now when you see Bernie Tomic being interviewed, you think he's an Australian.

I think we can trust the Daily Mail this time, but I'm not sure we can trust John Cleese! Even in my day King's Road was pretty cosmopolitan.

But, relying as I do on secondhand and third-hand information, I do think that we let too many immigrants in. How come we got all the Asians, and Australia got all the Middle Europeans? I'm not being racist.... but they do blend in better. Now when you see Bernie Tomic being interviewed, you think he's an Australian.

Give me a number: How many people are being naturalised UK citizens per year? And how many "aliens" get PR in the UK per year?

Give me a number: How many people are being naturalised UK citizens per year? And how many "aliens" get PR in the UK per year?

How come the aliens are voting Lib-Dem?

I thought the PR (proportional representation) thingy was voted down by all but the lunatic fringe. I always thought this Cleggy character came from Pluto, now you've confirmed it.

California-based Cleese, 71, (who) moved to the U.S. more than two decades ago, (said) in Australia...

...that there are too many foreigners in London.

You gotta hand it to him.

Sounds like he is gasbagging from afar.

I think we can trust the Daily Mail this time, but I'm not sure we can trust John Cleese! Even in my day King's Road was pretty cosmopolitan.

But, relying as I do on secondhand and third-hand information, I do think that we let too many immigrants in. How come we got all the Asians, and Australia got all the Middle Europeans? I'm not being racist.... but they do blend in better. Now when you see Bernie Tomic being interviewed, you think he's an Australian.

Give me a number: How many people are being naturalised UK citizens per year? And how many "aliens" get PR in the UK per year?

The average is about 150,000. In 2009, over 200,000 were given British citizenship (the latest Govt. statistics I could find). Presumably they (many of them) have wives and children... not to mention the wives and children of previous immigrants. If the average is/has been maintained over 20 years, that comes to 3,000,000, or over 4% of the population. Too many to absorb that fast in a small country.

California-based Cleese, 71, (who) moved to the U.S. more than two decades ago, (said) in Australia...

...that there are too many foreigners in London.

You gotta hand it to him.

Sounds like he is gasbagging from afar.

Yes, all too familiar. Gasbagging from the Orient seems more typical.

I think we can trust the Daily Mail this time, but I'm not sure we can trust John Cleese! Even in my day King's Road was pretty cosmopolitan.

But, relying as I do on secondhand and third-hand information, I do think that we let too many immigrants in. How come we got all the Asians, and Australia got all the Middle Europeans? I'm not being racist.... but they do blend in better. Now when you see Bernie Tomic being interviewed, you think he's an Australian.

Give me a number: How many people are being naturalised UK citizens per year? And how many "aliens" get PR in the UK per year?

The average is about 150,000. In 2009, over 200,000 were given British citizenship (the latest Govt. statistics I could find). Presumably they (many of them) have wives and children... not to mention the wives and children of previous immigrants. If the average is/has been maintained over 20 years, that comes to 3,000,000, or over 4% of the population. Too many to absorb that fast in a small country.

Thanks. In Thailand, we have about 300 applications for PR (permanent residence) per year, and a population of about the same size of the UK (around 66-68 million).

Give me a number: How many people are being naturalised UK citizens per year? And how many "aliens" get PR in the UK per year?

How come the aliens are voting Lib-Dem?

I thought the PR (proportional representation) thingy was voted down by all but the lunatic fringe. I always thought this Cleggy character came from Pluto, now you've confirmed it.

Aliens can vote in the UK?

Presumably Thai wives are excluded from the 'too many immigrants' figures?

Presumably Thai wives are excluded from the 'too many immigrants' figures?

Why?

The ones I know remain immigrants for the time of their stay in UK, but return to Thailand with a nice divorce settlement after a few years.

Although sdome stay on and work the massage parlours.

Give me a number: How many people are being naturalised UK citizens per year? And how many "aliens" get PR in the UK per year?

How come the aliens are voting Lib-Dem?

I thought the PR (proportional representation) thingy was voted down by all but the lunatic fringe. I always thought this Cleggy character came from Pluto, now you've confirmed it.

Aliens can vote in the UK?

Can be voted for! Nick Clegg's definitely an alien.

As for Chris Huhne - obviously a fugitive from alien mental home.

John Cleese is spot on. I went to London last month and the feeling was that there was more foreigners than English. I was with some Saudi's who made the same observation.

Xenophobic character can be found everywhere these days.

Nothing to do with being Xenophobic. I live in Saudi, believe me, do you think I could live there if I was Xenophobic?

There are also those characters who try to make something out of innocent observations, these days !!

When I visited home for the first time in years I was shocked to find how much it had changed. I come from a smallish provincial city in the UK. I recall there was one black guy in my high school and no Asians whatsoever. Walking through the local Tesco there was an aisle completely dedicated to Polish food. Huh? I was further gobsmacked coming across a couple of shops in the city centre selling nothing but Polish goods. To me it was surreal. As was the amount of Arabic women strolling around. I can't remember ever seeing an Arabic woman in my town let alone a number of them. When I last lived in the UK about 16-odd years ago if somebody had said they were opening a Polish minimart they have been met with ridicule and something like " Yeah why not open a shop selling Bolivian cleaning products or Nigerian toiletries while you're at it"

John Cleese is spot on. I went to London last month and the feeling was that there was more foreigners than English. I was with some Saudi's who made the same observation.

London isn't England. It gets a little bit tiresome reading about the fact that England isn't England any more. 90% of the population of England DON'T live in London. John Cleese (the man who lives in the USA) is talking <deleted>.

John Cleese is spot on. I went to London last month and the feeling was that there was more foreigners than English. I was with some Saudi's who made the same observation.

London has never been England in the same way that Bangkok has never been Thailand.

I always thought that Bangkok was part of Thailand - not sure how I got that wrong.

When I visited home for the first time in years I was shocked to find how much it had changed. I come from a smallish provincial city in the UK. I recall there was one black guy in my high school and no Asians whatsoever. Walking through the local Tesco there was an aisle completely dedicated to Polish food. Huh? I was further gobsmacked coming across a couple of shops in the city centre selling nothing but Polish goods. To me it was surreal. As was the amount of Arabic women strolling around. I can't remember ever seeing an Arabic woman in my town let alone a number of them. When I last lived in the UK about 16-odd years ago if somebody had said they were opening a Polish minimart they have been met with ridicule and something like " Yeah why not open a shop selling Bolivian cleaning products or Nigerian toiletries while you're at it"

Yes, expect that shop to open soon.

Welcome to globalisation. It's a good thing. We all on this forum (at least of us who are expatriates) are part of it.

I always thought that Bangkok was part of Thailand - not sure how I got that wrong.

Bangkok surely is part of Thailand, geographically and politically.

Culturally, you can see huge differences between Bangkok and the provinces. I believe this is the same for big cities in many countries. Since this thread is about the number of expatriates, this is relevant: More exapts in Bangkok than in the provinces, more expats in London than in the countryside.

90% of the population of England DON'T live in London.

What on earth has that got to do with it. Tell me of anywhere that 100% of the population live in one city. Of course 90% of the population don't live in London, it would be a tad crowded if everyone did wouldn't it.

John Cleese is spot on. I went to London last month and the feeling was that there was more foreigners than English. I was with some Saudi's who made the same observation.

London has never been England in the same way that Bangkok has never been Thailand.

Not the same analogy whatsoever. Go into an Hotel in Bangkok and what is the nationality of the staff who work there? Go into an Hotel in London and I guarantee that there are a vast amount of staff who aren't English. And it's the same with countless many other jobs i.e. Taxi drivers etc. There is nothing racist about this, it's just an observation of fact.

London is probably less multi cultural now than it was in Victorian times when the docks were in full swing.

If you really want to see a multi cultural city then go to Noo Yoik or Los Angeles...or Dubai. There's more Pakistanis in Dubai than in Rochdale and that takes some doing eh Mr B?

PF

90% of the population of England DON'T live in London.

What on earth has that got to do with it. Tell me of anywhere that 100% of the population live in one city. Of course 90% of the population don't live in London, it would be a tad crowded if everyone did wouldn't it.

Singapore?

90% of the population of England DON'T live in London.

What on earth has that got to do with it. Tell me of anywhere that 100% of the population live in one city. Of course 90% of the population don't live in London, it would be a tad crowded if everyone did wouldn't it.

Singapore?

some of them 100%, most of them 90%:

Vatican

Liechtenstein

San Marino

Andorra

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Bahrein

Sharjah

R'as al-Khaimah

Grenada

Ajman

Fujairah

Umm al-Quwain

sorry Mr Bo... i know this is not fair but i could not resist :jap:

You've missed out the biggest of them all, Naam...... Hong Kong S.A.R. Also there's Monaco.

90% of the population of England DON'T live in London.

What on earth has that got to do with it. Tell me of anywhere that 100% of the population live in one city. Of course 90% of the population don't live in London, it would be a tad crowded if everyone did wouldn't it.

Singapore?

some of them 100%, most of them 90%:

Vatican

Liechtenstein

San Marino

Andorra

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Bahrein

Sharjah

R'as al-Khaimah

Grenada

Ajman

Fujairah

Umm al-Quwain

sorry Mr Bo... i know this is not fair but i could not resist :jap:

You're wrong about most of those from the UAE.

And in the spirit of the topic, around 10% of Dubai's population is Emirati. What percentage of London is Brit or English?

Edited October 15, 201114 yr by koheesti

You've missed out the biggest of them all, Naam...... Hong Kong S.A.R. Also there's Monaco.

hmmm... Hong Kong is not an independent state. adding HK would also require to add Macau. Monaco fits of course except if one takes a beancounter's opinion into consideration...