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Ice cream maker, Ben & Jerry’s, has branded UK immigration policy ‘a nightmare’. The company has made it a feature of their brand to ‘help protect and progress the rights of those looking for a safe place to call home. However, some political commentators and social media users have said that the US ice cream makers should ‘stay out of UK politics’.
Political commentator and broadcaster, Darren Grimes, launched a scathing attack on Ben & Jerry’s over its comments on UK immigration policy. Grimes re-shared a social media post published by Ben & jerry’s, which said: “The UK Home Office is cruelly locking up thousands of people as part of their nightmare system of immigration detention.”
In response, Mr Grimes said: “Does anyone else just want uber-woke multinational ice cream giants to stay away from politics and stick to making overpriced ice cream?”
Making a stand
Ben & Jerry’s has a history of making a stand on political issues, including fighting racism in the US. Earlier this year, Ben & Jerry’s chief executive, Matthew McCarthy, urged other CEOs and business leaders to ‘use their unique power and privilege to help the US begin to heal’.
In an op-ed piece posted on Ben & Jerry’s website, Mr McCarthy stated that he was supporting US legislation that would assess the possibility of paying reparations to descendants of enslaved people in America.
According to an article published by The Wall Street Journal, Mr McCarthy said: “One of the questions I get most often is, aren’t you afraid of alienating consumers by the stands that you take at Ben & Jerry’s? It’s the exact opposite.”
Meanwhile, Mr Grimes urged his 147,000 Twitter followers to boycott buying Ben & Jerry’s ice cream products following their outspoken political comments.
He tweeted: “We should vote with our feet folks and stop buying the products of those who do not wish our nation well.”
Some disagree with Grimes
However, some social media users disagree with Grimes’ stance. One Twitter used posted: “I think it’s good to have a cookie dough ice cream that tastes delicious & cares about the poorest & most vulnerable people in our society.”
Another tweeted: “Ben & Jerry’s have always politically campaigned from day one the Company was set up [sic]. Even now it’s owned by a multi-national conglomerate, it’s great to see its original ethos is allowed to operate. If you don’t like it don’t buy it.”
Latest swipe at UK immigration policy
It’s not the first time that the ice cream maker has taken a swipe at UK immigration policy. In August 2020, Ben & Jerry’s took aim at UK Home Secretary Priti Patel personally with a series of tweets in relation to migrants crossing the Channel.
The tweets prompted Patel’s friends to leap to her defence, some of whom responded furiously to Ben & Jerry’s personally attacking her.
At the time, one Home Office source said: “Priti is working day and night to bring an end to these small boat crossings, which are facilitated by international criminal gangs and are rightly of serious concern to the British people. If that means upsetting the social media team for a brand of overpriced junk food, then so be it”
At the time, then Foreign Minister James Cleverly said: “Can I have a large scoop of statistically inaccurate virtue signalling with my grossly overpriced ice cream, please?”
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