-
I'd guess se London was always much more diverse and as a result less racist than the country as a whole.
The reason the NF marched through New Cross in the 70s was because there was a local NF councillor elected and they wanted to inflame local tension.
There’s much less of a binary now - when I was a kid it was still mostly white English/West Indian. The white working class have mostly gone, which has eased tensions tbh. Rich white gentrifiers and a wide range of immigrant groups make it feel polarised on class rather than ethnic lines.
I was in a former labour voting area of be England that was prob 99% white that subsequently voted strongly for Brexit (Copeland, Cumbria).
I'd guess se London was always much more diverse and as a result less racist than the country as a whole.