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Sunday 15 June 2008

On immigration system

It is ludicrous that Ronnie Campbell MP is supporting relaxing the rules for foreign nationals to come here and work in the curry industry. He must surely know that some of the highest rates of unemployment in this country is among the Bangladeshi/Pakistani communities.
If these restaurants offered recognised training courses and a decent wage they would be able to recruit from the local population. Instead they want a constant supply of immigrants to work for very low wages.
Once these people see what they can earn else where they leave and hence it is a vicious circle of curry house owners constantly going abroad for cheap labour.
Trevor Waddleton

People like Ronnie Campbell MP should be trying to find a solution, not go for the obvious - i.e. bend the rules for a minority, which has been the basis of much resentment by the public.
Any other industry which had a bias towards hiring from one ethic group would not be tolerated.
Steve, England

On smoking

I stopped smoking 30 years ago and I'm very glad I did. It's enabled me to live a fuller life in other directions.
I feel now that when smokers come within smelling distance they stink, and I won't tolerate them in my house.
Ray Wallace Thompson - aged 92

If smoking is such an addictive habit, why don't we treat it like any other drug and make it illegal - instead of this wishy washy stuff, trying to prevent people smoking, hiding it under the counter.
They'll only find another way around it so why not treat it like a class A drug and ban it?
Derek Kirk - Maryport

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