The Kintyre Forum

Quote from Labour MP Barry Sheerman:

"Just had worst coffee and bacon bap in London at Victoria Station. Why can't Camden Food Co employ English staff? I am not a xenophobe. I am an MP and I represent the good people of Huddersfield, not Gdansk."

Is this fair comment?

" "Just had worst coffee and bacon bap in London at Victoria Station." " ----
That is down to his 'taste' or very poor staff training by the Camden Food Co ----- nowt tae do wi where the staff come from -----
BUT he is an MP and one should not expect very much thought being put into the statement . ----- One can have sympathy perhaps for "the good people of Huddersfield" --- or maybe they have jist whit they deserve as its themselves did the voting !

A bit oot o the Wikipedia aboot Huddersfield -- oot o date as population is noo 149,500 BUT I wonder jist who he thinks he represents ----

Ethnicity
Like many former mill towns, Huddersfield has a higher than average number of residents from ethnic minorities. The white population makes up 81% of the population comparing to 91.3% for England as a whole. The largest ethnic minority group are those who have described themselves as being Asian or British Asian originating from the Indian sub-continent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) with 10,837, or 8.9% (compared to 1.4% for England as a whole). An ethnicity summary of the town's 121,620 population is 98,454 (81.0%) white, 15,072 (12.4%) Asian or British Asian, 4,328 (3.6%) Black or Black British, 328 (0.3%), 259 (0.2%) Other and 3,131 (2.6%) Mixed.[20]

I totally agree with Bitter but I also understand where the MP is coming from. I was reluctant to post my thoughts because no doubt I'll be accused of being racist but I find it terribly difficult to keep up with the PC updates about what you can or can't say these days.

I was with Mr Govangirl recently in a Costa Coffee outlet on the motorway. I tried to ask the staff if there were dried fruit products in an oatcake but no-one could speak fluent English enough to understand me. I asked for the manager who, like the rest of the staff, was also East European and whose grasp of English was just as poor. Sorry but If I'm paying over a fiver for one coffee and one muffin I expect to be able to communicate in the most basic way. Dammit, if I was paying 50p for a coffee and cake I'd want the same!

GG. I am shocked. £5 for a coffee and a muffin.

I wonder who represents the bad people of Huddersfield!

Govangirl wrote: I was reluctant to post my thoughts because no doubt I'll be accused of being racist but I find it terribly difficult to keep up with the PC updates about what you can or can't say these days.

I agree with you there GG, I didn't comment on the Galloway thread for the same reason even though I live close by.
Back on thread, I had the same thought as Sheerman when trying to buy a drink from a kiosk in St James Park on a recent trip to London.

I don't care if anyone thinks I'm racist, it doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the hoards of folk that have landed here from European countries (don't worry, I'd say the same thing about our coloured cousins), they claim our benefits, take our jobs, take our social housing, commit just about every crime in the book and get treated "nicely" and still don't have the common courtesy to learn our sodding language.
Now that IS taking the p**s.
Don't forget, I'm not racist, just patriotic.

gizmo wrote:GG. I am shocked. £5 for a coffee and a muffin.

You clearly haven't visited Costa! Or maybe it's just us who live in England who have to pay those prices and all you thieving, half a million per person subsidied, cap in hand, got-it-easy Jocks only have to pay a quid.

Have I got this PC lark right?

[quote="Govangirl Or maybe it's just us who live in England who have to pay those prices and all you thieving, half a million per person subsidied, cap in hand, got-it-easy Jocks only have to pay a quid.

[/quote]

If I was you I would be looking out my tinhat..

Martin wrote:I don't care if anyone thinks I'm racist, it doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the hoards of folk that have landed here from European countries (don't worry, I'd say the same thing about our coloured cousins), they claim our benefits, take our jobs, take our social housing, commit just about every crime in the book and get treated "nicely" and still don't have the common courtesy to learn our sodding language.
Now that IS taking the p**s.
Don't forget, I'm not racist, just patriotic.

I am old enough to remember a big chunk of our building trade was working in Germany and Holland in the 70s (made a few bob at it myself). I know "ein beir bitte and ich lieben du" were we any different?
I was working in an old womans house the other day who was complaining about "the bloody Pole next door who is doing 2 jobs" The bloody Pole was saving to buy a house for his family in Poland, is he doing any wrong?
My workmate is 2nd generation Indian, his Dad was chased out of Uganda by Id Amin, both of them work like (oops cant say that) to the best of my knowledge neither of them have ever claimed any benefit and I would be very surprised if either of them has committed a criminal offence.
Should the truth be told all 3 of them probably speak better English than what I does, and I think Dillon (his real name is Dharindra) would kick your arse for the coloured cousin bit.

gizmo wrote:If I was you I would be looking out my tinhat..

No, no, it was my idea of a joke. If we can be nasty towards folk just for their race then I was just trying it out on my own kind! The fact is, for me, I don't care if every cafe in my area only has Eastern European (or any other nationality) workers - I'm just requesting that they speak English, that's all! And I think that's reasonable.

Quote from an MP.

It's surely evident from the heading ?....He was telling lies.

gizmo wrote:

Martin wrote:I don't care if anyone thinks I'm racist, it doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the hoards of folk that have landed here from European countries (don't worry, I'd say the same thing about our coloured cousins), they claim our benefits, take our jobs, take our social housing, commit just about every crime in the book and get treated "nicely" and still don't have the common courtesy to learn our sodding language.
Now that IS taking the p**s.
Don't forget, I'm not racist, just patriotic.

I am old enough to remember a big chunk of our building trade was working in Germany and Holland in the 70s (made a few bob at it myself). I know "ein beir bitte and ich lieben du" were we any different?
I was working in an old womans house the other day who was complaining about "the bloody Pole next door who is doing 2 jobs" The bloody Pole was saving to buy a house for his family in Poland, is he doing any wrong?
My workmate is 2nd generation Indian, his Dad was chased out of Uganda by Id Amin, both of them work like (oops cant say that) to the best of my knowledge neither of them have ever claimed any benefit and I would be very surprised if either of them has committed a criminal offence.
Should the truth be told all 3 of them probably speak better English than what I does, and I think Dillon (his real name is Dharindra) would kick your arse for the coloured cousin bit.

I think you will find there were nowhere near as many brits workin in europe as there are poles etc workin here,plus we werent getting housing ,schooling etc for the family at the same time. You aint comparing like with like,the worlds changed in the last few months,we need to look to our own people,there are big problems ahead and the far right is rising all over Europe.People aint stupid,they can see when others are being takin on as they are working for less,living 10 to a house etc,unfair access to housing and so forth.But then if your one of the 1% you dont care as your job and house prospects aint in danger.Just look at the amount of eastern labour in the south east and ask a builder if he thinks immigration is a good thing for business.Even harder times are ahead and the mob wont be listening to bullshit when they cant feed the kids or pay the bills,think last summers riots but worse,barbecued banker anyone?