Sir: Your assault on both parties and both Houses over
the new immigration law was thoroughly well merited (1 March). May I point to some lessons and offer a warning?
The mismanagement of the economy and over-ambitious welfare programmes have taken up parliamentary time that should be devoted to such neglected tasks as the treatment of fun- damental problems like racial conflict. Diag- nosis should start from the unnatural attraction our universal 'welfare state' offers to immi- grants, and go on to analyse the effect of government policies in prolonging the housing shortage and of the restrictive practices of trade unions in narrowing employment opportuni- ties for immigrants. Commercial investment in undeveloped countries would do more than extravagant, politically based 'aid' to improve employment prospects in African and Asian countries from which so many immigrants come. The warning I would offer is that we must now expect those Tories and Socialists who voted for exclusion to go to absurd lengths to try and Prove they are not racialists. Driven by
guilt and leaning over backwards to prove themselves upright, they will aggravate racial tension by treating the immigrants who are here as British citizens plus. In other words, instead of removing the causes of avoidable inequality, they will be tempted to favour Asian and African citizens at the expense of other in- habitants in similar circumstances. When the first signs of this inverted discrimination begin to appear, I hope the SPECTATOR and others who have stood up straight on the Immigration Act will be brave enough to oppose the politicians and their shabby expedients.
Ralph Harris 41 Parkgate Crescent, Hadley Wood, Herts
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