First Things Podcast Is the UK a Nation of Immigrants? (ft. Louise Perry)
Nov 13, 2025
Louise Perry, a journalist and author, dives into her thought-provoking essay 'Indigenous London' while discussing the complexities of demographic change in Britain. She addresses the provocative use of 'indigenous,' critiques the myth of Britain as a 'nation of immigrants,' and explores the impact of globalization on local communities. Perry links displacement to recent protests and delves into how shifts in social housing have transformed London's landscape. Their conversation also touches on cultural divides and the broader anxieties surrounding identity and belonging.
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Housing Policy Reshaped London
- Louise Perry argues central government social-housing reforms since the 1970s shifted allocation from local respectability to need, reshaping London's demography.
- The change concentrated subsidized housing among recent immigrants and displaced traditional Cockney communities to surrounding counties.
Displacement Fuels Local Resentment
- Displaced Cockney communities largely relocated together to nearby counties like Essex, preserving culture while creating commuter populations.
- Perry links recent local protests and flagging to this memory of displacement and class bitterness.
Meritocracy Undermines Obligation
- Meritocracy as an ideology erodes noblesse oblige by framing elite advantages as wholly earned and owing no duty to locals.
- Perry suggests this undermines elite responsibility toward native working-class communities.
