Home Office swamped by sarcastic Valentine’s Day messages on Twitter

Disgruntled Twitter users have been sending sarcastic Valentine’s Day messages to the Home Office after an old tweet resurfaced about “sham” marriages.

“#Rosesareredvioletsareblue, if your marriage is a sham we’ll be on to you,” read the tweet from February 14 2013, when Theresa May was overseeing the Government’s so-called “hostile environment” immigration policy as Home Secretary.

#Rosesareredvioletsareblue, if your marriage is a sham we’ll be on to you: http://t.co/DKP2l37D #happyvalentinesday

— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) February 14, 2013

The policy, which Mrs May argued at the time was to “deport first and hear appeals later”, came under intense scrutiny in 2018 after thousands of Caribbean migrants – known as the Windrush generation – were challenged over their status and even deported, despite being in the country lawfully.

Current Home Secretary Sajid Javid has promised to “do right by the Windrush generation”.

But the 2013 tweet recaptured the attention of Twitter users six years on, with many taking the opportunity to add their own twist to the traditional rhyme.

Roses are red,Theresa's in parliament,when will we be ridof her hostile environment?

— It's Vince (@badvincegood) February 13, 2019

Brexit was a hot topic among the amateur poets.

Passports are redBut soon they’ll be blue.If you think that that’s progress,You must be on glue.

— Mary Leng (@mary_leng) February 14, 2019

Among them was a poetic joke about the Transport Secretary’s now-abandoned plan to pay millions to a shipping company which did not own any ships.

Roses are redMy favourite fruit is cherriesRemember that timeChris Grayling was sold some invisible ferries

— Andrew Roberts (@AndyMRoberts) February 14, 2019

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One rhyme managed to combine romance with vivid imagery of a no-deal “apocalypse”.

Roses are red,Violets are red,Trees are red,Grass is red,The country is burning in a No-Deal Apocalypse…

— Satan McBastard (@SatanMcBastard) February 14, 2019

Meanwhile, others went in for questions around how the Brexit referendum campaigns were funded …

Roses be LeavedAnd the Violets RemainedSomebody knowsWho laundered the Brexit campaign

— Blue Butterfly (@NabokovBlue) February 13, 2019

… or whether there was any “Russian money” involved.

Roses are redEgg yolks are runnyBrexit was paid forBy Russian money

— Steve (@Stevebhoy75) February 14, 2019

One quick-witted commentator even integrated the Prime Minister’s recent waste-saving recommendation of scraping mould from jam.

Roses are redGammon is HamPlease scrape the mouldInnovate with your jam

— cólz (@colz) February 13, 2019

Elsewhere, another harked back to her “naughtiest” activity.

Roses are redViolets are sweetIf you're Theresa May You'd much prefer wheat

— Randall Stevens (@ArrowsmithDavid) February 14, 2019

But many respondents failed to see the funny side and were simply appalled.

Who in the home office actually thought that this tweet was suitable for a government department to send out. @sajidjavid

— Father Jack McFilthy Unhelpful #FBPE #PeoplesVote (@myob2016) February 13, 2019

The Home Office declined to comment on the record but said on background that the 2013 tweet is not in line with the department’s current social media approach of posting content that is serious and useful to the public.