Thinking Allowed - 27/01/2010

On the 1st of July 1997 Hong Kong passed out of British hands and came under Chinese rule, ending more than 150 years of British control. It was an emotional moment which seemed to signify the final end to an era of British history. Many expatriates returned to the UK but a minority stayed on. Today there are still 19,000 British nationals living in Hong Kong, representing only 0.3 per cent of the population. How do they feel about the changes in the city? What has happened to the colonial life they once lead, and what do they think of people 'back home'? Laurie Taylor discusses an in-depth study by Caroline Knowles which explores the lives and attitudes of the British migrants still living in Hong Kong. Laurie also talks to Robert Ford, the co-author of a new study exploring the reasons behind people voting for the BNP, the most electorally successful far-right party in British electoral history. What are the factors behind its success? Angry White Men: Individual and Contextual Predictors of Support for the British National Party examines the social, geographical and attitudinal characteristics of the BNP voter.