Dinghy migrants 'national emergency' claim garbage

Here we go again a handful of migrants reach the shores of the UK in small boats and dinghies and we have Tory MPs calling it a national emergency. What a load of garbage.

A recent study released by the refugee council said that 91 per cent of those who make the treacherous journey across the Channel come from just 10 countries where war, human rights abuses, oppression and poverty are all common.

Amongst those 10 countries are Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, countries that the UK have either bombed and invaded or have supported military action in, in order to spread so-called democracy.

How many of those Tory MPs will accept that the UK's foreign policy over the last couple of decades is a major factor in causing the refugee crisis we see across the world.

And how many of those Tory MPs have voted for or supported military action in mentioned countries?

The UK needs a compassionate asylum system where asylum seekers and refugees should be welcomed and given the chance to rebuild their lives and contribute to society.

Martin Webb

Victoria Road

Swindon

Potshot comments from MP 'a bit rich'

James Gray states that he stood by Owen Patterson, who the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards found had committed serious breaches of the rules on several occasions, because ‘he has been my friend for 25 years or more’.

Nothing to do with the three line whip or trying to please his rotten leader then?

Even if it is true, one would hope that an MP would be rather more objective and put the national interest and the reputation of Parliament (which is hardly high at the moment) above a fairly mild sanction against his friend.

As for his plea that we ‘avoid party political mud-slinging’ and ‘eschew the merry sport of taking potshots at MPs’.

Well that is a bit rich from a man who a few weeks ago suggested one of his colleagues take a bomb to a member of the opposition – as a joke which was not meant to cause offence of course.

Perhaps there would be fewer potshots if North Wiltshire’s MPs did their job of representing their constituents better and addressed some of the concerns facing them (Covid, inflation, provision of public services, shortages, etc) rather than focussing on their own interests and careers.

Nobody forces them to do the job. They are well paid and receive very generous expenses. If they don’t like the, usually legitimate ‘potshots’ there is a simple solution, retire and take the pension - no doubt other job opportunities would emerge too.

Peter Cullen

Lower Stanton St Quintin

Chippenham

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