Patel wrong for job

Sir, – Just when UK relatives of Afghans need help most, the government hands the issue to Priti Patel’s Home Office team.

I don’t really believe it’s the team’s fault but it is the leadership and its direction.

For the last 11 years the UK Government had its strings pulled by an insular cabal called the ERG (European Research Group, which has stoked distrust and built the wall against immigrants.

Home Office leader Ms Patel, having been required to take a course on bullying awareness as penance for the £138,000 settlement for constructive dismissal of the most senior civil service mandarin, is the obstacle to getting the help needed.

The Home Office team have

been reconditioned to defend against incursion.

So when Afghan relatives phone the 24-hour helpline, they are faced with another implementation, where people are not getting through or are even redirected to a non-government location. They don’t get through after hours waiting and run out of phone credit. This is hardly surprising. That is/was the method used to “assist” Department for Work and Pensions clients.

It seems that trying to change the direction on immigrants is difficult for a department that has been travelling in the opposite direction for such a long time.

Perhaps also the Home Office had its eyes focused on the record number of migrants

landing at Dover in recent days, and missed the detail required for the Afghan helpline.

I would like to mention and thank Eddie Reader and her friends for shouting “welcome” to those recently landed. Their smiles erupted. Safe at last.

It is also heart-warming to see those volunteers building packs of aid to support the immigrants.

This is what we are about in Scotland, isn’t it?

Alistair Ballantyne. Birkhill, Angus.