John McDonnell's misinformation

Mayo is not the same as Syria. Cork is not Chad.

The Labour politician John McDonnell MP was on the telly last night making out that the Irish who go to Britain are exactly the same as refugees who hop into the small boats, head over the Dover and break into the UK illegally to claim asylum.

I don’t take kindly to this. In a bad-tempered debate on Peston where Richard Tice MP did talk over him, McDonnell tried to explain the distinction between economic migrants and refugees. Tice explained that pretty much everyone who arrives in the UK to claim asylum will be granted it – implying that the distinction between economic migrants and asylum seekers is not clear cut. I think that is a fair description of the debate.

(At 32 minutes.)

McDonnell in frustration then says, ‘you are talking to a grandchild of an Irish migrant, we built the country, we built the roads, we started the NHS.’ Tice replies, that’s fantastic, but you came here legally, you didn’t come here illegally.

McDonnell dismissed the distinction saying there was no such status at the time.

Let’s be very clear on this, the generations of Irish who came to Britain did so legally. I went to study at Cambridge 20 years ago, my husband’s grandfather left Mayo for England decades before and did indeed tarmac the roads. We both came to the UK legally.

Neither John McDonnell’s grandfather nor my husband’s grandfather broke into the UK and claimed asylum. They didn’t have to, as after the Irish Free State was declared in 1922 the Common Travel Agreement between the UK and Ireland came into existence. Do you know what the status of both grandparents was before 1922? British subjects. That’s what the ‘dispute’ was about.

Ireland pre - 1922 was not just a British colony it was part of the Union, after the Irish parliament, the Grattan parliament was dissolved in 1800. This was a big mistake if you ask me and things really started going south, in the south, after that. But I digress.

The principles of the Common Travel Area were restated in 2019. “In entering into this Memorandum of Understanding, the two governments today reaffirm the standing of Irish and British citizens in each other’s countries by virtue of the CTA. For generations, Irish and British people have moved seamlessly between our countries, and developed deep and lasting ties. Although predating it, the CTA has also underpinned the Belfast / Good Friday Agreement. The CTA has and will continue to enhance and nurture bilateral relations between our countries.”

Seamlessly. Write that down Mr John McDonnell MP.

It continues, “In entering into this Memorandum of Understanding, the governments of Ireland and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reaffirm the immensely important and enduring nature of the relationship between our two countries and the unique ties between our citizens.”

I really object to Irish people who live and work in the UK being compared to Afghani or Syrian refugees. Those refugees may contribute over time, but the cultural differences between the Irish and British are a lot less than those between someone from Westerham in Kent (one of my favourites) to those who hail from ones of the stans. Your, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and what have you.

Over the generations the Irish have done very well in Britain. Don’t bother waving around your No dogs no Irish sign at me. If you want to play the oppression card, that’s up to you. All I see is opportunity.

Indeed whenever I turn on Desert Island discs there is someone on there with an English accent explaining that long journey they used to take in their childhood up to Holyhead and over the Irish sea to Ireland ‘for holidays’. That’s a well-trodden path. The latest being Stephen Mangan. And we gave you the Gallagher brothers which you may or may not be grateful for. And all those footballers who then played for Ireland in Italia 90.

Then there is Bridget Phillipson MP and Minister. I haven’t even bothered googling her but I assume there is an Irish grandparent there somewhere. And all the Connors. And there are loads of Irish there in Downing Street, the main one being chief of staff Morgan McSweeney. “Cork-born Morgan McSweeney is Keir Starmer's closest aide and will play a central role if Labour enters government. Described by the British media as an "elections guru" and "a workaholic Irishman", McSweeney (47) grew up in the townland of Codrum, just outside Macroom in Co Cork. He is the son of Carmel and Timmy McSweeney, who for years has been prominent in Macroom GAA club.”

After Starmer’s ‘hard line’ immigration speech there were calls on Twitter for McSweeney to be deported from the UK, and queries as to how he got his visa. Nice try. McSweeney didn’t need a visa, he was not a refugee from Cork so you are stuck with him. He moved to the UK under the Common Travel Agreement. Enjoy.

Sue Gray is also of Irish descent. Gray’s parents left Ireland for Britain in the 1950s. She was one of a large Catholic family of seven children, born to a mother from Kilmeaden in Waterford and a father from Belcoo in Fermanagh. She grew up in Tottenham, London. Gray has enjoyed a long career in the British civil service.

Pat McFadden MP was born in Glasgow to gaeilgeoir parents from the townland of Dunmore near Falcarragh in Co Donegal. He is known to return to Falcarragh each year on holiday. Like Gray, McFadden is one of seven children in an Irish-Catholic family that migrated to Britain during the 1950s.

And there are others. Starmer seems to like the Irish.

So there we are. McDonnell needs to stop his misinformation. They all came and worked in the UK legally. In the case of the grandparents they were previously British subjects (whether they liked it or not and most did not) about five minutes beforehand. The rest all travelled under the CTA.

Mayo is not the same as Syria. Cork, although rebellious, is not Chad. Stop pretending it is.

Ah, yes and how could I forget. Tommy Robinson is also of Irish descent – I believe his mother is Irish. Safe to say he integrated all right. There is nothing the Irish President and Taoiseach like to do more than wax lyrical over the Irish diaspora and how fabulous they all are. Dapping their misty eyes, telling us how hard it must be for all those Irish from LA to Luton to be away from ‘home.’ Yet funny enough I don’t see them bagsy-ing Tommy Robinson. He won’t be getting an invite on the Late, Late Show any time soon. Funny that. The rest of them would all get the Céad míle fáilte.