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Letter to the Editor

E Midlands local newspapers - Wednesday 28th April 2004


Dear Sir,

For at least a year I have been warning of the dangers of large-scale immigration following EU enlargement on May 1st. I have been accused of scare-mongering, rabble-rousing and even racism (although the immigrants concerned are white Europeans).

Yet now it is happening, and the papers are full of stories of planes from Eastern Europe booked solid with immigrants.

We Conservatives have no objection in principle to immigration. We recognise the great contribution that immigrants have made, and will make, to our economy.

But we object to Labour's total failure to manage the issue. They could have used opt-outs in the accession treaties to control immigration for up to seven years, as all other EU countries except Ireland have. But they chose instead to leave Britain as the only major country open to mass immigration on Day One.

Then in true Labour fashion they tried all kinds of scams to manage the headlines -- not the immigration -- by clandestinely waving through applicants and by-passing procedures, to admit as many as possible before May 1st, and so reduce the numbers afterwards.

Their cynicism knows no limits, but they were found out and Beverly Hughes was forced to resign.

Then, too little and too late, they tried tightening up social security rules. Now, in a blind panic, Blair admits it's "crunch-time", but he has no policy response.

This chaos is bad for Britain, bad for immigrants. Once again, Labour is letting us down. It is time for them to go.

Yours faithfully,

Roger Helmer MEP