Thread by @Helenreflects

You might wonder why Priti Patel was so oddly specific, referring to the "North London liberal elite". Why the North, you might ask. Well, it's an antisemitic dogwhistle, because N London has significant Jewish populations inc in Hampstead and Samford Hill.
Diagnostic ... 1/

Of the identification of Jews with the liberal elites, the so-called rootless cosmopolitans, as I argue in this piece.
Patel, much like her predecessors in Russia and the Weimar Republic is creating an us vs them false dichotomy 2/

blog.politicsmeanspolitics.com/the-anti-semit…

Between the rooted, authentic us and the rootless cosmopolitan, remote, them. It's chilling anti-semitic rhetoric to be used in conjunction with the promise to end freedom of movement once and for all. 3/

Now let's see if her argument holds up to scrutiny. Freedom of movement is for the (dogwhistle dogwhistle Jewish, wealthy etc) elites. Whereas the points based migration system she touts is not for the elites, but is that true? Let's examine UK immigration rules in force now...4/

Complex visa rules mean that the brightest and best the UK says are welcome and are certainly needed, such as medical doctors, need to be wealthy too. Take this case of a young Taiwanese doctor, who has to leave the UK after 13 years 5/

thelondoneconomic.com/news/young-doc…

The reason is not that the UK has too many medical doctors. The reason is that Mu-Chun Chiang had, for a few days, less than £945 in her bank account. Never mind her expertise. It's all about money. How is this system not elitist? 6/

Take also the current UK policies on family reunion, which again are all about money. Are you a Brit who wants to live with your non-EU spouse? Well, better make enough money (at least GBP 18,600/year). It doesn't matter how much your spouse makes. 7/

If you don't make enough, tough luck. Your spouse can see her children grow up on Skype. Google "skype families" if you can stomach it, and read the heart-wrenching accounts of children who are devastated to grow up without mum or dad. How is this not-elitist? 8/

If you're wealthy you can get the fast track to UK indefinite leave to remain via the investor visa. Ordinary doctors and teachers need to wait many years and can be rejected on a technicality, investor visa = IRL as soon as in 2 years. Kaching! 9/
gov.uk/tier-1-investor

Freedom of movement is the opposite of elitism. It is not for the elites alone, it's for everyone - doctor, teacher, baker, plumber, artist, etc. etc.. Lack of freedom of movement, now *that's* immigration for the elites.
So why the association of FoM with elites? 10/

Well, it only makes sense if you see immigrants as such radically other people than Brits that they just don't have the same hopes, concerns, lives etc. But even then, ending FoM will end the hopes of many Brits to live and study abroad bc it is a reciprocal right 11/

And once Brits are deprived of that right, emigrating to the rest of Europe will be only for those who are educated and who have in-demand diplomas, or for the very wealthy. /end