Army border controls

sir – There are growing calls for the military to assume control of areas of national life where existing methods are not delivering, the latest being British border control and, specifically, migrant Channel crossings.

Aside from the inadvisability of employing scarce military resources, the proposal misses the point. The question is not who performs this task but what they are allowed to do. Unless the policy is made legally watertight, the skill and control capability of any organisation charged with enforcing it will have little, if any, effect. With the right rules of engagement I am sure that the UK Border Force can succeed. Lady Dutton

Sherborne, Dorset

sir – The candidates for prime minister have been explaining how they would deal with illegal immigration.

However, as Priti Patel found out, good intentions count for nothing when faced with the immovable block of the Left. The liberal interpretation of refugee laws made for a different time is not just a problem for Britain, but also for Europe, America and the rest of the world. No progress will be made until the legislation is rewritten. George Kelly

Buckingham