The good, bad and the ugly

Councillor Michael Dixon’s letter (June 28) contained an assortment of the good, the bad and the ugly.

He wrote good when he stated our city had become more diverse and interesting with many nationalities. He wrote bad when he made unsubstantiated condescending words towards Labour. He said they had caused economic damage by paying out excessive welfare payments.

The councillor is wrong. The payments were the correct going rate at the time.

It helped families to buy enough food and kept a roof over their heads. That is not the case these days.

Our government has reduced welfare rates to starvation level, forcing millions to depend on food banks to survive. The councillor went ugly with his derogatory comment that the left had played a large part in hardening the views of many in the city on migrants. What a load of codswallop.

Tory right wing politicians and their friends in the media have denounced them from the start. The Government is clearly at fault by placing migrants where poverty and the shortage of jobs, housing and the strain on hospitals and schools already exist.

However, the Tories showed their indifference to the problem when, in 2010, they scrapped the £50million Migrant Impact Fund set up by Labour to support local services. Instead of increasing public services, in line with the increase in migrants, the Government is closing them down. Also adding to the problem is private landlords and estate agents making excessive profits while the tenant sees most of his money going on rent.

It’s time the Government imposed rent controls.

W Quinn