Politicians are lazy in blaming immigrants

In his letter (The level of immigration is unsustainable) Mr Norris asserts that my argument is “specious”. Not so; it is factually accurate. His comments actually make my point.

The immigrant groups that he lists are now so assimilated that we no longer consider them to be immigrants. He also calls my point “trite” which is a matter of opinion and Mr Norris is entitled to his opinion. Immigration is a thorny topic and it is unlikely that Mr Norris and I would ever agree on its causes or effects.

However, my disagreement isn’t with Mr Norris; it is with those lazy, dishonest and disingenuous politicians, populists and general rabble rousers who seek to portray immigrants as the major cause of our social ills.

Some politicians in particular are guilty of blaming immigrants for the failure of their own flawed or ideologically driven policies because it’s easier to blame “the other” than to take responsibility for their own actions.

Not enough houses; immigrants to blame. Can’t get a doctor’s appointment, let’s blame the immigrants. This ignores the 10 years of austerity politics pursued by the Tory government during which council funding was cut to the bone with the concomitant effects on our social infrastructure; the NHS was underfunded by £millions; schools went unbuilt and unrepaired; roads were neglected.

Need I go on? Don’t look to the Daily Telegraph to find information about immigration.

Have a look at official Government reports e.g., Migration Advisory Committee or Institute for Fiscal Studies and draw your own conclusions.

Could anything be more absurd that this Government “cracking down on immigration” whilst, at the same, time scouring the world for doctors, nurses and other health professionals to fill the vacancies in our NHS?

Frank Fay, Upper Green Loughborough