Other ways to succeed

Published: 22 October, 2010

• INDEED, I did see and pity the pseudo-intellectual David Starkey on Newsnight and found his comments as offensive and poorly informed as I did the letter from MJ in the Tribune (Upmarket homes will attract the movers and shakers we need, October 15). 

It strikes me as tragic that MJ has such little appreciation of culture and community that he believes fleeing/

abandoning one’s family, home and country of origin is the only route to success. And that the welfare state freezes people where they were born. To quote Marilyn Monroe: “I couldn’t aspire to anything higher.” 

I don’t think somehow that the “successful” MJ is the type to clean his/her own toilet, make their own clothes and deliver their own post. 

And really, being so hard-working and successful (by MJ’s own definition, that is) where on earth would they get time to polish all that glass in the Barnsbury penthouses for plastic people like him/herself? 

Islington’s cultural heritage is all about community and social integration, and for all its difficulties its rich diversity is why we love it. 

Still, I’m glad MJ is such a fan of migration. Hopefully, they’ll get up and leave us real people to get on with living and working together, and eventually, if we’re lucky, MJ will make it to Beverley Hills or somewhere else far away – if they work hard enough that is.

Missing you already.

TC
N5