Posted by James Bickers | Email this to a friend

The British press is buzzing with news of a fight between prolific singer Morrissey and a popular weekly music publication. In a recent interview with the magazine NME, Morrissey was asked whether or not he’d consider moving back to his native England.

With the issue of immigration, it’s very difficult because, although I don’t have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears … If you walk through Knightsbridge on any bland day of the week you won’t hear an English accent. You’ll hear every accent under the sun apart from the British accent.

The Tall Dark One says his comments were taken out of context, and the whole mess has turned into a shouting match between the two parties. And it’s not the first time NME has accused him of nationalism – the magazine took issue with his 1992 song “National Front Disco,” which contained the line “England for the English.” So there’s more than a little bit of lingering animosity there.

The singer is involved with the upcoming “Love Music Hate Racism” campaign, which is staging shows around London. “I abhor racism and oppression or cruelty of any kind and will not let this pass without being absolutely clear and emphatic with regard to what my position is,” he said.