YP Letters: History teaches us it is wrong to stir up immigration fears

Leonie Jackson: Why Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech still echoes in Brexit Britain

IT was interesting to read Bernard Ingham’s reflections on the ‘malaise’ and failings of his generation (The Yorkshire Post, April 11), but concerning to read his flippant and irresponsible claim that ‘a vast migration from Africa’ is one of two ‘threats to our civilisation’.

Unfortunately he does not explain why the migration of Africans is more of a threat than people from other continents. However, to be clear, there is no ‘vast migration of Africans’ to Yorkshire, nor does this threaten our civilisation.

Africans have lived in Yorkshire for at least 300 years, and there are of course people who are both African migrants and British citizens. Migration is a part of our everyday lives and on the whole has benefitted and enriched Yorkshire. This isn’t to say there aren’t any negatives to migration, but exaggeration creates unnecessary fear, and sadly often has serious repercussions.

The real threat to society comes from the rhetoric of political actors who use migration as an easy scapegoat for society’s ills, ranging from careless remarks through to the more extreme far-right racism used to chilling effect in Hungary last week.

Bill Carmichael: Theresa May rides out Windrush storm - but Amber Rudd is liable

Bernard Ingham’s opinion piece comes nearly 50 years to the day since Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘rivers of blood’ speech, and whether or not the timing was coincidental, it is sad to see that as he appears to share a similar sense of ‘foreboding’. It is easy to make people feel under threat, but history teaches us that it is better to unite people.

The Yorkshire Post says: A lack of nuance. Immigration debate still polarised by Enoch Powell

From: Henry Cobden, Ilkley.

I ADMIRE Theresa May for having the guts to authorise airstrikes against Syria without seeking recourse to Parliament (The Yorkshire Post, April 16).

As a former Home Secretary, she’s only too aware of the possible terrorist attacks that such action could inspire from abroad or jihadists radicalised here in more recent times. As Prime Minister, she is, however, privy to classified intelligence that will never enter the public domain.

If it was Jeremy Corbyn in 10 Downing Street, we’d be aligning ourselves with terrorists.

From: Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.

IF all military action has to be authorised by Parliament, it leaves the Government, and Armed Forces, bereft of one significant advantage – the element of surprise. By acting as she did, Theresa May was making sure that her successors in 10 Downing Street will still have all options open to them