UK POLITICS

135k a year Border Force Chief: Borders a ‘pain in the bloody arse’

14 November, 2021
UNN Staff Writer

The outgoing head of the UK Border Force has triggered a massive row by describing ‘bloody borders’ as ‘just such a pain in the bloody a***’.

Paul Lincoln’s remarks, which were made in a speech to mark his departure as director general of the Border Force comes amid growing public disgust at the out of control situation in the English Channel.

Last week, the number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats hit a new daily record of 1,185. More than 23,500 have made the crossing from France so far this year, a sharp rise on the 8,404 in 2020.

 Lincoln, who left his position last month as part of a shake-up by Home Secretary Priti Patel, ended his speech by quoting lines from rock star Shane MacGowan, of The Pogues, saying: ‘People are talking about immigration, emigration and the rest of the bloody thing. It’s all bloody crap.’
The speech by Paul Lincoln, pictured during a media briefing in Downing Street in May this year, concluded: ‘We’re all human beings, we’re all mammals, we’re all rocks, plants, rivers. Bloody borders are just such a pain in the bloody a***.’

A senior Government source said: ‘We have held more meetings about the small boats than any issue other than Covid, but it just seems as if we are always banging our head against the wall. Perhaps this explains why’.

 Lincoln left his £135,000-a-year post last month amid mounting criticism of the Border Force’s handling of the Channel migrant crisis and the long queues endured by travellers at Heathrow.

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