Letter: Foreign dependency a short-sighted policy
Why are we so dependant on the outside world? Trade with Europe, the Commonwealth and the rest of the world is a fine thing but when it comes to deals that put vital services like energy into the hands of foreign powers for periods of 50 years or more we are, in effect, giving up some of our independence.
Are we so short-sighted that we think the status quo in international relationships will last forever? What if things go awry? We shall have a nuclear device sitting on our shores in Somerset over which we do not have full control. Think about that!
We used to do things for ourselves; now we have to import football managers and players – a Bank of England governor! Can we not do these things for ourselves?
The farmers are worried that they will not be able to get European migrant workers to harvest crops and pick fruit. Do we not have enough unemployed job-seekers to be directed into this work? I am sure that there are many people who, for no fault of their own, are without work and would jump at the chance of doing something useful. There may be others who would need a bit of a push like stopping the money they could have earned from the benefits they receive. Then there are able-bodied pensioners and students who could volunteer.
The farmers may not be able to pay what we call a living wage but if they pay the rate they pay the migrants then everybody will still be better off.
In this way most of the money paid by the farmers will stay in the UK and benefit us all.
John Belcher, Madeley
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