“Net immigration,” reports the BBC, “Has reached an all-time high.” The difference between those entering the country and those leaving it was 330,000 to the year ending March 2015, to which I answer, so what? It is about time someone said, so why not me, that immigration can be a good thing for our country.
As my loyal reader will well know, I am not in favour of multiculturalism per se. I have no interest in people’s colour, creed or religion for so long as they come to the UK to work hard, to play by the rules and live within our culture. If we have one set of rules for everyone and no special privileges for anyone, what could possibly go wrong? Our children are all taught the same way, animals are slaughtered for food in the right, most humane way, that people cannot force others into accepting alien cultures or introduce separate laws – as Big Daddy used to say, “Easy!”
And we need more people in the UK. Our own population is getting older (tell me about it) and we need more people to pay tax to finance pensions and vital public services. In short, we need economic migrants!
So, who does the BBC first ask for a reaction to the rise in immigration? Why, none other than Nigel Farage, leader of the – I’m going to say it – bigoted and racist Ukip (one MP, not him). Labour, who have many more MPs (at least until Jeremy Corbyn becomes leader) were asked as an afterthought. I expect they were asked when Nick Griffin was unavailable.
We know what this is about really, don’t we? Black people and muslims, not necessarily in that order. For some odd reason, I have not been the victim of racism – yet: there’s always time – but I suppose I am as good as an example as some. Less than half of me is English. Doubtless, Farage would like to exhume my grandad and send him back to Norway and my mother to the Netherlands. Bloody foreigners, coming here, working hard, paying their taxes: shouldn’t be allowed.
And David Cameron from 2011, giving a “no ifs, no buts” promise that immigration would be cut. This will be one of his bullshit crackdowns, then, where the reality bears no resemblance to his spin. If you are going to cut immigration, then be honest and tell us why. Do you really hate all these foreigners or is there an economic reason? The evidence suggests that the agenda is predominantly political.
I’m sick of our attitude to “foreigners” because one way or another most of us are “foreigners”. Doubtless, my own children would fall foul of a future Ukip government, urging their repatriation to countries they might not even have visited. But they do have foreign names, so that should be reason enough.
All this immigration doesn’t even begin to take account of the mass movement of people displaced by islamic fascism and the chaos in parts of Africa. And all the likes of Farage can say is “These figures reflect ‘Borderless Britain’ and total impotence of the British government.”
Let us make no mistake that Farage and co are just right wing Tories employing dog-whistle politics and he and his sleazy bunch of screwballs and fruitcakes just want to make things even worse. It suits their ugly politics.
I am proud to be British and I am proud of my Scandinavian and Dutch roots which make me what I am. No way I am going to be ashamed of what I am or where I am from and no way should our country be casting aspersions on people from other countries who want to live here, work here and be part of our culture. Those who wish to be part of a different culture need not apply.
