Dear North-East Bylines,
Following the piece on party policies on immigration by Carol Westall in your recent edition, I feel inclined to correct a few of her observations about the LibDem policies on the issue. The main link in the article was not the most recent party posting – and did not work. Whereas on the new link (thank you, editor) you will find from our very first constitutional statement that we are the party of pro-immigration and freedom of movement:
“Our responsibility for justice and liberty cannot be confined by national boundaries; we are committed to fight poverty, oppression, hunger, ignorance, disease and aggression wherever they occur and to promote the free movement of ideas, people, goods and services.”
— Liberal Democrat Constitution
So, contrary to the article, our policies are not ‘sparse‘ on immigration at all – we are brave. Indeed, we are the only party actually talking of creating closer ties with Europe again, and with a return to the single market comes that all important ‘freedom of movement’ we need for travel and work – true freedom indeed.
As an elected LibDem County Councillor in Northumberland I see that many of this country’s struggles at the moment are down to a short-sighted, racist idea of Brexit. There is now a resultant and desperate lack of workers, manual, skilled and professional. From hospitality and agriculture right through to our beloved National Health Service…which is on its knees after many EU staff simply packed up and left. We have made people not feel welcome in a country that was, and still is, populated by Romans, Saxons, Beaker People, Huguenots, Windrush and Poles. They just can’t get in to be able to fill in the forms – as Braverman herself perversely pointed out last week.
Just what are we frightened of? An open-door policy of the kind that built modern America; a melting pot of ideas that would create a diverse and strong country – of which we have always been proud?
We are simply becoming a rural backwater – an isolated fortress shut off to the rest of the world. The LibDems policies on Immigration would address this issue head on.
Yours,
Dr Suzanne Fairless-Aitken
County Councillor for Hexham East
Do you have opinions on immigration policies? Please do email us on editor@northeastbylines.co.uk
