Debate or Division? 'Stop the Boats' - 'Support the Vulnerable'

Send us Fan MailWe explore how divided are we as a society? and hear from a number of voices with soundbites from:- Maz, ex Anti Nazi League Member, supporting the Gaza march 22Feb- 'G', a local patriot Dad who has had enough of the 'hotel economic scam'- Hampshire Resistance, at the Horley Protest alongside 'G' on 22Mar- Tim Charters, Chair of Reform UK, Crawley- Richard Biggs, Conservative on immigration- Abigail Chapman-Miller, Labour sharing an example of racism observedPlus the Rountable conversation with:- Iqbal Khan, founder of Tess' Kitchen- James Tidy, Vice Chairman Reform UK, Crawley- Paul Taylor-burr , Stand Up to Racism, Crawley- Clive Hilton, HostA children’s charity fundraising walk in Tilgate park raises thousands for families in Gaza. A 'Stop The Boats' protest in Horley a month later - we tackle the underlying motivations, facts & fears to understand - how divided are we really? and is there any common ground.Through on-the-ground soundbites from Tilgate 22nd Feb, the protest outside the Four Points hotel in Horley 22nd Mar, through to snippets from our Local Elections episode -- we hear how quickly good intentions can collide with fear, frustration, and deeply held beliefs.We sit down with voices from all sides - Paul, a FreeShop volunteer and anti-racism advocate, challenges sweeping claims about migrants and crime. James from Reform UK in Crawley pushes back against being labelled “far right” and responds directly to accusations around NHS privatisation. Between them, a bigger question emerges: when did disagreement turn into distrust?We also dig into the data—reading from a Sussex Police Freedom of Information response on crimes linked to hotel sites—and ask what the numbers actually show, and where assumptions take over. Iqbal shares lived experiences and from there, the conversation turns to the realities of immigration and asylum policy: the difference between the two, the pressure on local services, and why faster, fairer Asylum processing could be part of the answer.But this isn’t just about policy. It’s about perception. From St George’s flags to slogans like “Stop the Boats,” we unpack how symbols meant as pride by some are experienced as provocation by others—and how that gap keeps widen with a few jumping on the bandwagon.If you care about reducing friction and division in our community, are curious to hear perspectives and the future of local debate, this episode doesn’t offer easy answers—but it does ask the questions many people avoid.Subscribe for more grounded local conversations. Share this with someone who sees things differently. And tell us: what’s one point both sides could actually agree on?Please click on 'Send a text' above & join our Facebook group to share your perspective and suggestions for future topics - Thank you for your interest! Clive.