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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Vinnie Jones and the expat trap | Vinnie Jones and the expat trap |
| (14 days later) | |
| Vinnie Jones is known as a hard man of few words. Turns out, even few can be too many. In his recent interview with the Radio Times he reveals his reason for preferring LA over London these days. It could be summarised as "too many bloody foreigners". | Vinnie Jones is known as a hard man of few words. Turns out, even few can be too many. In his recent interview with the Radio Times he reveals his reason for preferring LA over London these days. It could be summarised as "too many bloody foreigners". |
| He bemoans the fact that England is no longer the country in which he grew up. "It's a European country now," he adds with melancholy. Jones's comments are ill-judged, but fascinating; for they reveal attitudes which, if the rise of Ukip is any guide, are quite prevalent, albeit plagued by pretty obvious logical cul-de-sacs. | He bemoans the fact that England is no longer the country in which he grew up. "It's a European country now," he adds with melancholy. Jones's comments are ill-judged, but fascinating; for they reveal attitudes which, if the rise of Ukip is any guide, are quite prevalent, albeit plagued by pretty obvious logical cul-de-sacs. |
| His views appear to be blissfully free of the irony or humility that one might expect from someone who is currently a migrant himself. Brits working and living abroad are expats, while foreigners living and working in the UK are immigrants. The dividing line seems to be nothing more than a fallacy, deeply rooted in the UK's imperial past. | His views appear to be blissfully free of the irony or humility that one might expect from someone who is currently a migrant himself. Brits working and living abroad are expats, while foreigners living and working in the UK are immigrants. The dividing line seems to be nothing more than a fallacy, deeply rooted in the UK's imperial past. |
| Foreign players flooding the English Premier League are a sign of obvious decline and slipping standards, as far as someone like Jones is concerned. In contrast, Gareth Bale breaking world transfer records to go and live in Spain, thrilling Real fans with his skill, is a t'riffic opportunity for the lad. | Foreign players flooding the English Premier League are a sign of obvious decline and slipping standards, as far as someone like Jones is concerned. In contrast, Gareth Bale breaking world transfer records to go and live in Spain, thrilling Real fans with his skill, is a t'riffic opportunity for the lad. |
| This is an oxymoron that spreads like a virus at the national level. In all the macho talk of an in-out referendum on EU membership, not a thought appears to have been given to the 1.6 million non-British EU nationals living and working in the UK; nor, indeed, the 1.4 million British nationals living elsewhere in the EU. The voices of the people who will be most directly affected by this change, in short, have been eliminated from the discussion. | This is an oxymoron that spreads like a virus at the national level. In all the macho talk of an in-out referendum on EU membership, not a thought appears to have been given to the 1.6 million non-British EU nationals living and working in the UK; nor, indeed, the 1.4 million British nationals living elsewhere in the EU. The voices of the people who will be most directly affected by this change, in short, have been eliminated from the discussion. |
| It is a worrying trend to consider alternative identities as exclusionary. You're either Scottish or British; either British or European; either Muslim or a patriot. An attempt to define a supremely complicated reality in a binary way. Marginalised are the voices that point out Britain hasn't just yesterday become a European country, as if this is a geographical, historical and political mantle which one can wear on a cold day, but leave in a trunk when it gets a bit warm. It always has been and always will be. | It is a worrying trend to consider alternative identities as exclusionary. You're either Scottish or British; either British or European; either Muslim or a patriot. An attempt to define a supremely complicated reality in a binary way. Marginalised are the voices that point out Britain hasn't just yesterday become a European country, as if this is a geographical, historical and political mantle which one can wear on a cold day, but leave in a trunk when it gets a bit warm. It always has been and always will be. |
| From culinary fusion to the merging of musical styles, from cafes with tables outside to export business opportunities that simply would not exist without the staff capable of bridging the cultural gap – pretty much everyone appears to enjoy the benefits of multiculturalism. Meanwhile a growing minority are labouring under the illusion that all these can be enjoyed without any of the messy problems of multiculturalism itself. The feelings of the many millions who like this "new" Britain, are dismissed as Europhile treason. | From culinary fusion to the merging of musical styles, from cafes with tables outside to export business opportunities that simply would not exist without the staff capable of bridging the cultural gap – pretty much everyone appears to enjoy the benefits of multiculturalism. Meanwhile a growing minority are labouring under the illusion that all these can be enjoyed without any of the messy problems of multiculturalism itself. The feelings of the many millions who like this "new" Britain, are dismissed as Europhile treason. |
| Time moves on, regardless. And with every passing day for at least the past 40 years, our lives become further entangled. "I am British. I married a French man. Our children were born in Austria", said someone in an email reply to a recent article. "If our government decide they've had enough of Europe, what do we do? Pick one? Become something smaller and narrower to what we truly are?" | Time moves on, regardless. And with every passing day for at least the past 40 years, our lives become further entangled. "I am British. I married a French man. Our children were born in Austria", said someone in an email reply to a recent article. "If our government decide they've had enough of Europe, what do we do? Pick one? Become something smaller and narrower to what we truly are?" |
| Both "immigrants" and "expats" watch with interest, as folks debate the advantages and disadvantages of separating two pots of paint, which were poured into each other four decades ago, with no sense of the practical impossibilities of doing it. The overwhelming fear is that somebody may actually be daft enough to try it. | Both "immigrants" and "expats" watch with interest, as folks debate the advantages and disadvantages of separating two pots of paint, which were poured into each other four decades ago, with no sense of the practical impossibilities of doing it. The overwhelming fear is that somebody may actually be daft enough to try it. |
| "If someone blindfolded you and put you on a plane in LA, and you landed at Heathrow and they took it off, you wouldn't have a clue where you were," muses Jones. Perhaps the massive border queues and odd journalist being led away for questioning, might give a clue that it is Britain. Or, at least, something which Britain seems to be becoming. | "If someone blindfolded you and put you on a plane in LA, and you landed at Heathrow and they took it off, you wouldn't have a clue where you were," muses Jones. Perhaps the massive border queues and odd journalist being led away for questioning, might give a clue that it is Britain. Or, at least, something which Britain seems to be becoming. |
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