STOP THE BOATS

The Home Secretary sat down to her meal in the grand hotel ballroom.

The day had gone well. ‘STOP THE BOATS’: the perfect slogan to win back their core voters.

Some of those irritating lawyers and activists and soft left-y socialists had bleated on about the European Convention of Human Rights, and breaking international law, but they’d been shouted down in the Twitter storm of sycophants and bots.

Getting out of the ECHR would come later. Then she could really deal with those bloody immigrants.

She waited. No food came.

A hotel manager appeared. ‘Very sorry, Home Secretary. I’m afraid there are no staff to wait the tables. You see, you’ve sent them all back to their countries of origin.’

Copyright Jennifer Pendergast

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read more stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

Apologies for a bit of a despairing moan about the language and legislation that this Tory UK government have deployed this week, as we stumble ever onwards towards xenophobia and fascism in the UK.

‘The State Trilogy’ and ‘The Barra Boy’ available now.

70 responses to “STOP THE BOATS”

  1. Wonderful, Iain! Best wishes, Michael

    Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome, Iain! xx Michael

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Hari OM
    Bravo, right on topic!!! YAM xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you – if only it wasn’t a topic…!

      Like

  3. Oh the irony! I think they’ll have to cut back next on over-generous benefits to drive the servants back to work

    Like

  4. Yep, only here it would be “because there was nobody to harvest the food”…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yep, we have that one too!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Dear Iain,

    Now there’s a way to drive the message home. Bon apetit, Secretary.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Nothing speaks louder to a self-righteous Redneck than a growling stomach! Yes!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. If only it would bring about a change of direction, alas not from our current rulers.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I’ve always thought Grassroots activism is more effective for culture change…

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I wish I could see it bringing about change more, and quicker.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Yah, I get that.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Thanks Rochelle – if only there was a way to make this government listen and think a little more compassionately.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Ah, Britain. The trouble with a country founded so deeply in thinking its better than others, is how do you translate that to an increasingly connected international community? It’s elements like this that make me glad to have moved away.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, your well out of it. I can only dream that my part (Scotland) which does feel like a different place entirely from the south of England, will one day break free.

      Like

  7. LOL serves her right.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Exactly. I could wish a lot worse on her, but this’ll do for now!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. As you’re being political, how many of those Albanian young men in the boats end up actually working? Proper immigrants contribute to the economy, or would do if illegal ones didn’t clog up the system by jumping the queue.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I have no idea, do you? Not doubting there is a problem that needs sorted with the small boat crossings. But a solution that rips up human rights, throws refugees and asylum seekers into a jail for 28 days and automatically deports them without them having any rights or recourse to legal advice or guidance is beyond cruel. Breaking international law and criminalising vulnerable people is not a good look. It is one of the biggest gaps between how England seems to react as a society compared to Scotland, and I wish I could distance myself from this government entirely. Not in my name, as they say. On the flip side, Britain takes less refugees than many countries in Europe, and has few legal avenues for genuine asylum seekers to get here. Any defence of this latest abhorrent policy is deeply misguided. Gary Lineker is correct – the language being used is reminiscent of 1930s Germany, and that is surely not a comparison we wish, or a place we want to be heading towards.

      Like

  9. Ha! Ha! Isn’t that a reality that repeats over and over in society? The people who make the luxuries happen are the least recognized until they’re not there any more.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes, if only people could see that before we end up in difficulty!

      Like

  10. Sounds perfectly horrid, Iain. I watched John Oliver last night do a feature on Ron DeSantis, who is probably going to run for POTUS in 2024 and how as governor he’s turned the state of FL into is own personal fascist state. Fun times on the horizon. I loved this line: “they’d been shouted down in the Twitter storm of sycophants and bots.”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, it’s depressing beyond words really. I hope the US doesn’t veer back to the right after the Trump years. I’m hoping our Tory government will be gone by the time we have our next election in 18 months, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they are voted in again.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I know what you mean. If the Magates get in in 2024 things are going to get real scary.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Hah! Serves her right. It is a sad state of affairs. We need immigration, yet we don’t want too much of it. Or, we want the “right” kind.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We do seem to want to choose which vulnerable people we would prefer to help.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Ain’t that the truth…

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Brilliant, she lost out there.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, if only it could be true!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Perfect ending!
    And I am very happy to say that I am at last enjoying reading your latest book, The Barra Boy. Intriguing! I am guessing at how it turns out, will see if I am right. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Fabulous, hope you enjoy it. Do leave a review somewhere to let me know!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I definitely will! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  14. A topical tale indeed. Living as I do on the south coast of England where the small boats are coming ashore, it’s always interesting to read others’ thoughts on the subject. Dale is spot on when she says we want the right kind of immigration.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Keith. No argument that something needs to be done, but breaking international law on human rights can’t be the way to go about it.

      Like

  15. It’s the same here in the U.S. unfortunately. Many are ok with using immigrants but they aren’t welcome at the table.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Very much that Tracey. It seems to be everywhere now.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Doing lip service to socialism while lusting after a champagne life! Good story, Ian.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Boom! And I wonder if, without immigrants, her gardens will be well kept. Be careful what you wish for.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Alicia. It’s dog whistle politics at its very worst.

      Like

  18. And yet, I don’t think it will wake her up and will change her evil mind. Nicely done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Unfortunately not, maybe a change of government is what’s needed instead.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. It’s more ironic over here. Where I’m sitting used to be Mexico, and people want to pretend like we’re the immigrants.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s complicated everywhere, and mostly lacking in basic humanity.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. i guess one never realizes the value of something until it’s gone.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Love how you picked up on our current political agenda Iain 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Be careful what you wish for! Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Another option is to pay decent wages so people want to serve. They use to be “stepping” jobs.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, in general just treat people better.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. So true to life Ian. Thanks for the laugh….Didn’t see that coming.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Susan. You have to laugh!

      Liked by 1 person

  25. The perfect comeuppance.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. That’ll teach him! Just desserts…nicely done, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. I despair at the extremes. Where is the compassion? Nicely done, Iain!

    Liked by 1 person

  28. 😳 nice! She’d better get up and serve herself some humble pie. 😁

    Liked by 1 person

  29. The governors of Texas and Florida have worked out a US solution. Use tax money to lease busses and give them free rides to other states. LOL Only ten million more bus loads and problem solved (he said sarcastically).

    Wonderful, Iain. The pot was well-stirred. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes, we have similar – planes to Rwanda – although none have left yet as it’s still in the courts.

      Liked by 1 person

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