Ben & Jerry’s gave Priti Patel advice on compassion and got the cold shoulder – 11 cool responses
Despite warnings that a naval approach would endanger lives, the Home Secretary has engaged a ‘Clandestine Channel Threat Commander’ – because that’s a thing now – to render the English Channel ‘unviable’ for those trying to reach British shores in small boats to claim asylum.
Advice on the matter came in from an unlikely quarter.
Hey @PritiPatel we think the real crisis is our lack of humanity for people fleeing war, climate change and torture. We pulled together a thread for you..
— Ben & Jerry's UK (@benandjerrysUK) August 11, 2020
We won’t include the whole thread, but it’s worth reading. These were crucial points from it.
People wouldn’t make dangerous journeys if they had any other choice. The UK hasn’t resettled any refugees since March, but wars and violence continue. What we need is more safe and legal routes https://t.co/L0Er90JDZY
— Ben & Jerry's UK (@benandjerrysUK) August 11, 2020
Let’s remember we’re all human and have the same rights to life regardless of the country we happen to have been born in.
— Ben & Jerry's UK (@benandjerrysUK) August 11, 2020
and once more for the back: PEOPLE CANNOT BE ILLEGAL.
— Ben & Jerry's UK (@benandjerrysUK) August 11, 2020
Although she hadn’t responded publicly at the time of writing, there was this.
‘A source close to Home Secretary Priti Patel has branded Ben and Jerry's ice cream "overpriced junk food".’
Imagine being more upset at ice cream, than you are about the lives of refugees.
https://t.co/z8JhG1Q8zp— Damon Evans (@damocrat) August 11, 2020
Twitter’s funniest Boris Johnson parody account interpreted – after all, he speaks fluent Home Office.
Priti Patel is calling for a boycott of Ben and Jerry's. She says we must show them that there is no place in this country for kindness, tolerance or humanity. https://t.co/zh1KpIMKQ8
— Parody Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson_MP) August 11, 2020
Responses were mixed. Some people vowed to boycott Ben & Jerry’s – during a heatwave – but more thought they made a good point.
These are the best responses we’ve seen so far.
1.
It shouldn't be left to an ice cream company to speak up for human rights, human decency and good policy on refugees and asylum seekers, but here we are. https://t.co/Ur2RvGKQRp
— Warren Morgan 🇪🇺 (@warrenmorgan) August 11, 2020
2.
2020: the year where ice cream was warmer than our Home Secretary.
— Dan Rebellato (@DanRebellato) August 11, 2020
3.
Ice Cream or the smirking face of banal evil? It’s a regular Sophie’s choice isn’t it. pic.twitter.com/h25rCeRBLO
— Bethany Black (@BeffernieBlack) August 11, 2020
4.
Big day for anyone who went into journalism so they could tweet an anonymous government source raging against being shown up by an ice cream brand
— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) August 11, 2020
5.
I suppose in a way, journalists leaving it to an ice cream company to counter dehumanising anti refugee propaganda, and then belittling it because it's come from an ice cream company, isn't quite 'good people doing nothing', but maybe it's actually worse.
— Gee Aitch Cee (@Scriblit) August 11, 2020
