Although i am not out to defend the british, i would like to point out a couple of things.
a) the british never actually SANK any ships of refugees, directly killing yidden. they turned numerous ships back, which eventually sank, and thereby caused many deaths, but they never actually sank any ships.
b) the british made the mistake of appointing a yiddishe high commisioner, Sir herbert Samuel, for eretz yisroel. In an attempt to prove his lack of bias,he leaned heavily towards the arab side.
c) During WWII the brittish allowed numerous refugees into eretz yisroel, by turning a blind eye to numerous ships, on both an indivual and and governmental level, saving numerous lives. In the entire period, the us only once turned a blind eye, during 1938, on intervention of morgenthau.
d) The brittish allowed unlimited refugees into England during the entire war, [with esception of enemy citizens], and was actually one of the very few safe havens – although many failed to take advantage.
e) The british prime minister immediately befre the war was a well known coward, called neville chamberlain. Since he was that after the british would leave e”y the arabs would win any war, he therefore leaned towards the arab side in terms of immigration.
f) The british were attacked many times by the Etzel and Lechi groups, (and retaliated), this obviously did nothing to help the british – israeli relationship.
g) over 75% of the land mass britian had in the mid east was given directly into arab hands some way or another, including much of present day jordan, and icluding the sinai/suez peninsula, only conceded by antony eden to Egypt in 1956.
h) any democratically elected changing government will renege on promises mada under previous governments – no different than Obama reneged on promises made by previous presidents, to transfer the embassy top jerusalem.
i) ABOVE ALL, i highly doubt that the british are interested in returning to eretz yisroel – especailly as they will soon find themselves overrun by the few muslims who are not yet in france.