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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I would love someone to define to me what 'we look after our own first' means??

178 replies

SnipeBird · 07/01/2017 22:07

Whenever I have political or brexit driven discussions this is a constant arguement thrown back at me - and genuinely I'd love to know what it means? Does it mean those who pay taxes here (includes people here and abroad, but not those on benefits maybe?), does it mean if you live here (all expats are out then), does it mean if you're British? (What does that mean? I'm half English, half German?), does it mean if you have a passport (well my 2yr old ds is out?)
What does it actually mean, who are 'our own'?

OP posts:
Richteadipped2 · 07/01/2017 22:08

It's a thing said by twats.

Viviennemary · 07/01/2017 22:09
Biscuit
c3pu · 07/01/2017 22:09

It means "I'm racist and/or suspicious of outsiders."

KindergartenKop · 07/01/2017 22:10

It means 'I'm a racist'.

NightTerrier · 07/01/2017 22:12

It means "I'm a racist biggot and belong in the 1950s."

HappyFlappy · 07/01/2017 22:12

You will find that people who say "we look after our own first" (or "charity begins at home") are generally the ones who look after nobody but themselves.

Their charity begins at hime, and it ends there.

Original poster
SnipeBird · 07/01/2017 22:14

Sorry Vivienne wasn't meant to deserve a Biscuit , my first one after 8 years here it has to be said, just an arguement I'm constantly frustrated by and wondering if I'm missing something!!

OP posts:
BoBo90 · 07/01/2017 22:14

It means different things to different people. The context also matters.

It doesn't make you a racist just by saying it. Xenophobic perhaps but not racist unless you have other unsavoury views to go along with it.

YoullNeverWeeAlone · 07/01/2017 22:14

It means "people who are like me". So depends on who is saying it (although it probably doesn't vary much).

idontlikealdi · 07/01/2017 22:14

Racist twunt would probably sum it up.

Bauble16 · 07/01/2017 22:15

It infuriates me. Like a life is any less important based on geography.

BonnesVacances · 07/01/2017 22:16

I think they mean that the needs of British people are more important that anyone else in the whole wide world. What they mean by British is another matter.

The fact that they haven't thought it through to consider whether they include so-called benefit scroungers in the list of people who they are feel should be looked after first, those who don't live in the UK but have British nationality, or those with dual nationality just goes to show what a fucking ignorant viewpoint it is.

Personally, I will never ever agree that nationality acquired solely by circumstance of birth or luck entitles anyone to a better human rights over anyone else. There is nothing that makes me jump on a soapbox more quickly.

As demonstrated ^^ Grin

Original poster
SnipeBird · 07/01/2017 22:16

Couldn't agree with you more bauble16

OP posts:
Heratnumber7 · 07/01/2017 22:17

For me,it means British people. Or people who are married to British people.
I am not racist, but I do see that the government's income - the tax people who work in UK pay - does not provide a lot big enough to cover the cost of, for example, health tourism.

Manumission · 07/01/2017 22:17

For 20+ years I assumed it was veiled racism, or at least a jingoistic kind of sentiment.

But now I realise some people mean it a less toxic way. Not all of them, though, so you have to dig deeper really to find out what's really meant.

Astro55 · 07/01/2017 22:17

I always assumed it meant look after the people living in the country at the time - i.e. Not sending aid abroad - not getting into other people's wars - looking after our own citizens - I didn't see it as a race comment - maybe I'm wrong and Mia informed! Not they I've ever said it!!

Wishforsnow · 07/01/2017 22:18

I think it means look after British nationals or residents and race does not come into it.

HerOtherHalf · 07/01/2017 22:20

It's drivel spouted by the ignorant. Why should i feel any more or less for someone I don't know in Milton Keynes or someone I don't know in Agbara? Why should someone who was born, here but has never paid tax, be entitled to more than someone who only arrived a few years ago but has been a net contributor ever since? Why is it alright for me to relocate from Aberdeen to London or Munich for work but not for someone to relocate from Poznan to Manchester? Why is it that certain groups want to blame all our issues on immigrants and not on governmental incompetence, corporate tax evasion, corruption and billions wasted blowing up people in far away lands?

normastits5 · 07/01/2017 22:24

AStro55 exactly what you said . I wish people would stop using the racist label with such abandon. It's very insulting and should not be used to describe anyone unless some evidence is there to back it up.

Manumission · 07/01/2017 22:34

Jeez her you're imputing a LOT of very detailed and specific meaning to a single phrase. Do you think everyone who says it means that?!

HerOtherHalf · 07/01/2017 22:37

Maybe not Manumission. I can't account for people who have lack the intelligence to consider the wider implications of the views they express.

Manumission · 07/01/2017 22:39

But haven't you heard it in anything other than a national/immigration context anyway?

Givemestrength12 · 07/01/2017 22:43

Well I would imagine anyone using that phrase is talking about someone in this country.

Someone's comment about people being born here but never paying tax? How can that be possible...everything is taxed, food, water, fuel, clothing, everything, even if they dont work, they are paying tax...and massive ammounts of tax at that...20% VAT...its a huge ammount, and its on a lot of things..

PotatoVegetable · 07/01/2017 22:45

Why don't you ask those you are talking to at the time what they mean.

Manumission · 07/01/2017 22:48

I actually think the addition of "first" on the end is quite a softener. Or could be.

I'm pretty sure I've heard it said fairly recently by despairing old school lefties in conversation about rising inequality and things of that ilk.

Which I took to mean something quite different from if I saw or on a BNP placard IYSWIM.