Once upon a time a Jewish couple, escaping the Polish pogroms, ended up in Liverpool. There they took the name of the ship captain who had brought them to this new world and stayed in Liverpool until the birth of their first son. They then moved to Glasgow where a second son was born. They were never well off, living on the poverty line which inspired both boys in their future lives.
The younger, M, grew up to be a thorn in the side of every government as leader of the NUT and a member of the communist party and became notorious enough to be on America's Not Welcome list.
Meanwhile J had gone to medical school and become a doctor. It is thanks to J that we understand the link between exercise and heart conditions. He remembered his own childhood and was one of the first to look at the social effects on health. His influence on public health has spread far and wide.
He married another immigrant, a Russian who was also involved in the health service. After the war, they adopted a French Jewish orphaned refugee, and later 2 babies from Europe.
To care for these 2 babies a Danish au pair was hired. Another immigrant into this motley crew.
The refugee grew up to be a talented engineer and linguist. He fell in love with the au pair and they married. He started his own business and became a successful business man, employing British people and paying British taxes. His wife became a teacher, educating young children for many years.
The refugee and the au pair had 2 children, girls, the first to be born in the U.K. The elder followed her calling and became a nurse and has nursed London her whole adult life. The younger is less wholesome but spends her days trying to make sure people are paid appropriately and fairly. They also pay their taxes and are what is known as Members of Society. They younger also has a tendency to blog dramatically but we can overlook that just this once.
Without immigration it is unlikely J would have been able to go to university and our public health system would be the poorer; there wouldn't be people making Danish Christmas decorations all over London after being shown by their teacher; and perhaps most importantly yours truly would never have existed.
Britain has always been a melting pot of cultures and we are stronger and better for it. It would be very sad for us to lose that and become insular and probably sickly. Immigration isn't the issue, complacency is.
That's a good story. One that needs to be remembered.
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