James Cleverly’s boast of a ban on care workers’ overseas dependants got the reaction it deserved – 15 condemnations
Despite the Government repeatedly promising to improve the Health and Social Care sectors, they have just pushed ahead with a policy guaranteed to negatively impact the UK’s ability to attract care workers.
Today in Parliament we have laid an order to ban overseas care workers from bringing dependants.
This is just one part of our plan to deliver the biggest-ever cut in migration pic.twitter.com/ZRTMfvVho8
— James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) February 19, 2024
It’s a policy that has the dubious distinction of being both cruel to the workers involved and having the effect of a direct hit into the collective foot of the nation.
In fact, the only purpose it appears to serve is in throwing a huge chunk of red meat to the virulently anti-immigration minority, who may be thinking about jumping ship to Reform at the next election.
Understandably, some reactions contain NSFW language.
1.
Not sure this is something to crow about. https://t.co/JYEXaYk2gJ
— Armando Iannucci (@Aiannucci) February 19, 2024
2.
This is so grim. https://t.co/BOzOQyXeTe
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) February 19, 2024
3.
"Care for our loved ones but don't your dare have loved ones of your own." https://t.co/1SUvoJxd4k
— HENRY MORRIS (@mrhenrymorris) February 19, 2024
4.
Just for love of god.
This is the response of our grim failure of a Tory government to losing 2 by-elections last week.Topping up levels of callousness to foreigners, to try to reassure the bigot vote.
Read your words out loud to yourself @JamesCleverly and be very ashamed. pic.twitter.com/hBteYRq9nA
— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) February 19, 2024
5.
'Dependents' ….you mean 'children'. We desperately need care workers.
Children desperately need their parents.You are boasting about inflicting grim cruelty on children and that you don't care about the mental health of care workers. HOW did YOU ever get a job? Baffling. https://t.co/6i8vQfm9wi
— Shaparak Khorsandi شاپرک خرسندی (@ShappiKhorsandi) February 19, 2024
6.
This will damage the care sector, the NHS and the economy.
It is populist idiocy. https://t.co/wfxkkmIrSk
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) February 19, 2024
7.
Are you this cruel and damaging to your own family or just everyone else's?
— HappyToast★ (@IamHappyToast) February 19, 2024
8.
This is so fucking depressing
— Robbie Scowls (@RScowler) February 19, 2024
9.
You can come here and literally wipe our arses, but don't for a second imagine there's anything in it for you. https://t.co/apEneIWF7b
— jonn elledge (@JonnElledge) February 19, 2024
10.
"Bloody care workers, caring" https://t.co/DbrL5AqNxw
— John Harris (@johnharris1969) February 19, 2024
11.
You appalling monsters. And you wonder why you’re despised by the electorate. https://t.co/Y37LJ1wYGh
— Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) February 19, 2024
12.
Just call them children you cunt. You know care workers won't come over and then you'll use that shortage to promote privatisation. https://t.co/ejK1HOOnl5
— Alexandra Haddow (@MissAHaddow) February 19, 2024
13.
So they can work for the minimum wage in our care homes doing jobs no one else wants to do, but they can’t go home to their kids at the end of the day? James, people go into politics to try and make a difference but usually IN A GOOD WAY. https://t.co/R7LKTjU5YH
— John O'Farrell (@mrjohnofarrell) February 19, 2024
14.
Rest assured I’m sure you’ll be rewarded accordingly for this policy at the ballot box.
— aidThompsin (@aidThompsin) February 19, 2024
15.
I understood we were having difficluty in recruiting people into the care sector. You expect people to come alone & leave their family behind in another country? You think people who can't access care will vote for the party that made that happen? What's the opposite of cleverly? https://t.co/ezX8SntbKD
— nick abbot (@NIAbbot) February 19, 2024
Author Otto English shared his family’s experience of why it matters.
My mum spent 8 years in care before she died.
Looked after by remarkable and dedicated women from overseas who loved her and saw her and us through it – one of them had her little boy with her.
Didn't think you people could revolt me any more but you managed it @JamesCleverly https://t.co/fYajGZjkWQ
— Otto English (@Otto_English) February 19, 2024
READ MORE
Kay Burley’s textbook one-two takedown of James Cleverly was magnificently done
Source James Cleverly Image James Cleverly, Freepik