There is a meme presently circulating that the English are workshy. A great deal of political rhetoric and argument has been built up around this meme, and it is used to justify the current levels of immigration.
Here is a clip from a Timothy Samuels documentary called “The Poles are Coming.” The audio is slightly out of synch, but the words are clear. In it, a short-haired member of the public in blue and white is interviewed standing outside Peterborough JobCentre, opposite the Conservative Club, apparently drinking a can of alcohol. At the beginning of the clip the individual has his hands in his jacket pockets, and there is no sign of the can. Later he is seen to reach round and produce the can. At the end of the clip, he is seen signing a document.
The viewer is invited to view the clip, and form an opinion on the authenticity of this event, and the integrity of the interviewee. Can anyone in Peterborough provide identification for this individual? Does anyone recognise them? Where did the can come from? At the end of the clip the individual is seen signing a document. This could be a waiver. If so, the BBC will have information identifying this individual, but it is important that the authenticity of this information is verified..
Here is the text of his speech, as far as can be made out:
“All the foreigners, they nick all our jobs and everything, don’t they? They work for like 50p an hour, don’t they? Us English people, we aren’t going to get a job, are they? We want £7 an hour, and they’ll work for £2 an hour.
That’s where all the Poles and Czechs are aint there, and that sort of shit? .. Because I don’t want to work for a load of foreigners. I’m not having a go at them.”
There is an argument for saying that the entire British layabout meme centres on this documentary, and in that documentary, this individual stands out, with his can of lager, as the epitome of all that is said to be wrong with the British workman. For that reason, it is important that we identify this person, who is, after all, no more than one amongst a small voxpop of individuals.
Can you help with this? Can you identify this interviewee, and confirm that he is indeed a workshy layabout who drinks lager outside the JobCentre.
Do you know anyone that speaks like this? Help if you can. The BBC is relying on you.
Here is a copy of the full original episode.