Thread by @ImmigrSchorschi

This @Nigel_Farage @Jacob_Rees_Mogg @BorisJohnson is what a stateless & fatherless 25 yo. German girl went through to get a job as an aupair in UK 1952 to learn English & earn some money to help her brother get to University. This is what @eucopresident & friends are on about /2

Fatherless because as a GP, he had against Nazi rules been locked up for helping a young woman to have an abortion after rape. He died before outbreak of WWII.

Stateless, as in panic of last few days of WWII, aged 18, Russians nearing she married an Italian POW working on the estate she, mother & 2 younger brothers fled to & hoped Italian citizenship would spare them. Mother cooked for workers, brothers caught sparrows for the pot /4

She needed a visa (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) to live in her country of birth. There were no jobs for mother or herself after war. The elder brother got a place at Heidelberg Uni & had the luck to meet a Brit student who knew a family who could employ an aupair & teach her English /5

I had the honour to meet this Brit student years later in late 60s in London, where he was a university prof. He made it possible. He broke down the physical & mental barriers that you are trying to re-erect with your nationalist tripe. On behalf of all children - Shame on you

And this girl was at my future father's sister as aupair when he came on leave from Trinidad where he had settled after moving there having loved the climate & culture of India/Burma as Major in WWII. They married she became a Brit, more British than Jacob R-M but accent free. /

She knew Barbara Cartland's Etiquette Handbook by heart & lived it too & had to entertain UK VIPs visiting the company ops in Trinidad, Any of you know the opening chapter of the book on "Good Manners" - "the evidence of man's civilisation", what sets us apart from barbarians? /

Not EU related, I got to taste the nasty side of UK right-wing immigration panic. Born 1954 in British colony, my dad had to quickly reregister my birth on 30/12/1966 so that I could continue going to a Catholic school near JR-M that he knows. Had to have a visa in my UK passport

Wasn't until 1985 that I finally was a British Citizen instead of "British Subject: Citizen of the UK & Colonies". Always had hassles at airports. My Mum with UK passport had to get UK consul out to Frankfurt Airport so as to be allowed on flight to UK. All stuff you lot support.

School UK 1962-72, lived, worked & married from 1970-90 in UK. Then by silly chance, "German" connection (I could barely say a sentence) sent by UK company to Germany where I have since been. Now called a traitor & regularly told to f*** off by your supporters as I make UK global

You @Jacob_Rees_Mogg @BorisJohnson @Nigel_Farage should have spent your time & energies making UK THE leading nation in the EU. You should have been leading, reforming & aiding the healing & wounds of centuries. You all know only too well that Germany is your ideological cousin.

And you all did history at school. You know what happens when cousins quarrel over stupid nonsensical matters of power. Newly formed Germany wanted a bit of the colonial pie & that wasn't to Uk's taste. WWI was no more than a Royal family ego squabble with millions of dead.

And stop making out you are somehow superior than EU27 with all your traditions & oldest & best & leading nonsense. Come to Bavaria & tell me about tradition & oldest & best & leading. While here visit HM Queen's family residences or choose a palace for her when she seeks asylum.

And don't panic Nigel, I will buy the beer & the fags. Don't for God's sake think about buying at UK Duty Free. Costs a lot more than duty paid on the continent but you should know that only too well on your weekly jaunts. Why haven't you made that another "bad" reason to Leave?

Truly sorry for getting all tweets & threads mixed up. Not very practised at having a long rant! But the message is simple: Nobody gains through Brexit, everybody loses. The good Britain, the fair, quirky & with wonderful humour & wit Britain is needed to move EU to next stage.