Reed Calls for Calm Debate on Immigration Issues

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Loughborough, Andy Reed, has called for a calm debate over immigration this week following high profile attacks by Michael Howard and the Conservatives in the press.

Reed said:

“We must ensure that we have a calm, informed and rational debate on immigration. It is easy to appeal to the lowest common denominator on these issues and generalize about ‘asylum seekers’ – indeed almost demonize them in the case of some right wing tabloids.

“Few people bother to check, but we actually have no asylum seekers currently living in Loughborough – and even if we did it should go to prove we have a tolerant society that is prepared to protect those genuinely fleeing persecution elsewhere in the world.

“We need a system that is firm but fair. Where people who are genuine refugees, or who add much needed skills to our society, can stay – but those who do not have genuine cases or abuse the system are sent away. However I am concerned that we are seeing campaigns which play on people’s fears and insecurities – and directly or indirectly promote racism.

“I also wonder how we would cope in our public services without the contribution of many migrant workers. We need to praise those migrant workers doing jobs that we have a shortage of in this country, as they play a big part in keeping our services working locally. We must ensure that we do not end up pandering to right wing sentiment when we discuss asylum and immigration in Britain. One would have hoped that Michael Howard would agree, especially when his family was allowed to immigrate to Britain and was fully accepted into society.”