Forum Topic

Con man Khan and we are all Londoners

Just watched this man suggest that all Europeans living in London are Londoners !! Now my missus is a Geordie who has lived here for over 50 years and does not class herself as a Londoner she's a Geordie. I'm sure the Europeans class themselves as Parisiens or Berliners etc not Londoners.

Andy Pike ● 2784d31 Comments

Khan being his usual idiotic self. At least he's consistent.🙄

Sue Hammond ● 2784d

He tries to be too "nice" and everybody's friend.  I'm sure his intentions are good but it just doesn't work.

Bunny Payne ● 2784d

I wasn’t born or raised in London, but I regard myself as a Londoner.  Not sure why it would be different for Europeans who live here.

Craig Fordham ● 2784d

Yes actually Craig, I will retract what I said before.  I wasn't born in London and I feel proud to be a Londoner, and so should everyone who makes the effort to come to our wonderful city and make their lives here.  London is a wonderful place and I think most people who live here feel happy to be here.

Bunny Payne ● 2784d

Of course Sadiq Khan is right and Mr Pike's post either misses his point or willfully misunderstands it. If you make somewhere your home you have every right to identify yourself with the place. When I lived in New York for a while I was very proud to describe myself as a New Yorker. That didn't mean at the same time I had to cease becoming English.

David Parker ● 2783d

Absolutely Bunny. People can be born elsewhere but still consider themselves an honorary Londoner even if not a full blown one! London is great.

Lucille Grant ● 2783d

"I live in London and i'm a Berliner"erm, yeah, that makes loads of sense lol

Matt Palmer ● 2783d

I was born in London and have lived in various places in London most of my life. Happy to welcome anyone who wants to live in London and consider themselves Londoner :-)

Michael Ixer ● 2783d

Interesting responses. I worked in Yorkshire for a few years but never thought of myself as a yorkshireman.  I can see people's association with a place they live at the time but assume when they return home be it to Yorkshire or some other country they are no longer Londoners whilst us born here are always Londoners first

Andy Pike ● 2783d

Mr PikeWhat do you define as London.If we were to use the tube map, is a Londoner someone who say was born within walking distance of the stations at its extremity ?Epping ? Barnet ? Chesham ? Upminster ?I qualify as I was born in Walthamstow E17.You ?And is a child born and bred in Putney of parents who moved to settle there from another country, say France or Belgium, a Londoner in your eyes ?

John Hawkes ● 2783d

Sound of Bow Bells.

Barbara Stevens ● 2783d

That used to be the case Barbara but London has expanded way further than the sound of Bow Bells. Putney, for example, was never part of London in the past.

Lucille Grant ● 2783d

Mr HawkesA rather abrasive response. I suspect you thought it was an anti European post - far from it actually.A very good friend of mine born here of Irish parents actually classes himself as a Dubliner whilst I would say he's a Londoner. But his Irish roots are very important to him and I respect his view.me? i was born and bred in Shepherds Bush London and regard myself as a Londoner.Wasn't looking to start a row but , for instance, whilst I'm a Londoner I do not claim to be a cockney (the sound of bow bells did not reach Shepherds Bush).Its a good question regarding the boundaries of London which have shifted over the years. and I agree its tough to be too pedantic on this.I posted the original as we were having a discussion in the pub when this item came on the news.The guys I was with all having lived in London for many years but not born Londoners classed themselves asA cork man, a Glaswegian (he's lived here for over 30 years), a Yorkshireman and a Dubliner. All long term residents of this city but not in their eyes Londoners.To a man they love London but their place of birth is where they identified as their spiritual home (probably the wrong word but i'm sure someone will correct me. )so its interesting how folk identify with their place of birth and their place of residence.

Andy Pike ● 2783d

Andy, it is a good question what is a Londoner or when can/do you consider yourself one.My husband and I still think of ourselves as Brummies and proud to be so, yet we have lived in London nearly 40 years, so I suppose a lot depends on how you feel about the place you were  born.  We cannot bring ourselves to change our sporting allegiances and this is a very difficult subject with our children who are born in London.  Though I have to face it, they will want to follow London teams.I really love London, it is a different way of living.  Family have asked if we will be retiring to the south coast as that’s what’s Londoners do.  The answer is No!  I am here till I die.

Martine Guy ● 2783d

It is interesting, Andy.  I’m left wondering whether opinions on this question of whether your identity depends on where you were born or where you live breaks down on remain / leave lines.  Interesting that you and Sue disagreed with Khan’s view, whereas many of those who agreed with him are remainers.  Not saying either is right or wrong, just an observation

Craig Fordham ● 2783d

Craig your last point is interesting and maybe has some legs but taking the guys in the pub as examples the  Cork man the glaswegian and Dubliner were all pro EU. So possibly not as simple as that but a good point nonetheless. Identification with place is interesting and varies widely i'd say .

Andy Pike ● 2783d

I was born and raised in London and class myself as a Londoner. I am very proud to say that I am British. However even though the U.K. is part of Europe I would never say that I am European. I do not want to be generic, my roots and my ancestry is more important to me.

Sue Hammond ● 2783d

Lucille I come from Barnes, I would have said I was on the outskirts of London. Londoners had their own language Cockney slang.

Barbara Stevens ● 2783d

' Wasn't looking to start a row but...'Maybe but a bit disingenuous when you headed the post 'Con man Khan...'

Jane Carter ● 2783d

I didn't, although I do agree with it.

Sue Hammond ● 2783d

I was responding to Andy's claim that he did not want to start a row

Jane Carter ● 2783d

Righto

Sue Hammond ● 2783d

He is conman, and has failed miserably to keep most of his manifesto promises.  Like Bercow and Macron, he is little man with a disproportionate sense of his own importance.Rather than deciding on behalf of millions where their emotional roots lie, he should be focussed on how to keep our streets safe for all who visit them, in an unprecedented epidemic of bloodshed which has occurred on his watch.Andy - lucky you to have a Geordie wife, wonderful warm and pragmatic people who know what real work is. I love Newcastle and its environs, and wish it could be a secondary parliament to represent the great Northern powerhouses that made this country what it is.  Grainger Market has the best regional cheeses I have ever tasted, so why do we never see them in Waitrose?

Chantal Blake-Milton ● 2783d

re Bow Bells.  I am a Londoner, wherever in the world I reside.  If you live or were born within the sound of Bow Bells you are entitled to be called Cockney  I am not a Cockney.

Barbara Shillabeer ● 2783d

"Andy - lucky you to have a Geordie wife, wonderful warm and pragmatic people who know what real work is".Mr Pike,I am sure your wife will feel all the better that she comes from a part of the country and from a stock that have Ms Blake-Milton's whole hearted appreciation and approval.Can you ask her what she is doing about getting the local cheeses available in Waitrose ?If those efforts fail can she try M&S ?Tell her not to bother with any other supermarket, Lidl and Aldi especially, as in my experience their customers appear rather work shy and I am sure only buy a German version of Kraft cheese spread.

John Hawkes ● 2783d

I'm well aware of Cockney slang Barbara - many of my family grew up in the East End.

Lucille Grant ● 2783d

Chantal has an aversion to small men it seems wherever they hail from.

Lucille Grant ● 2783d

No Lucille, I was accused of that. I don't btw, but I do have a strong aversion to sarcastic men, especially elderly ones.

Sue Hammond ● 2783d

You could ask a Black Cabbie they have to have a different badge to work in London than on the outskirts like Putney Kingston etc. They also can take somebody into London but must not pick up anybody.

Barbara Stevens ● 2780d

Ubi Bene Ibi PatriaWhere I am happy is my home

Hugh Thompson ● 2778d

Verum est!

Jane Carter ● 2778d