Times and Star letter

Last weeks edition of the local paper, the Times and Star, carried the following letter about Maryport Against Racism:

Anti-racist group is students on an ego trip
Published on 23/02/2007

I WAS recently baffled and amused when I received a leaflet through my door from the Maryport Against Racism group informing us all about the threat and the growing support of the British National Party within Maryport.

The leaflet informed us that the BNP claims that the large number of foreign workers in the town is keeping wages down and putting pressure on the housing market, with all available rented accommodation being taken by greedy landlords wanting to “cram as many in as possible.”

Apparently, according to Maryport Against Racism, this is untrue.

Well, as a former employee of one of the factories where most of the migrants work, I believe that that is exactly what is happening.

One does not blame individual workers for being here, as they are only wanting a better life.Our government is to blame for allowing this to happen.

Factory owners plead they have to import foreign labour to fill vacancies. That is untrue. You can always recruit workers if you are prepared to pay a decent rate for the job.

I am not a politically-minded person, and I am not defending the BNP. But Maryport Against Racism seems to me to be a few immature sixth form students on an ego trip.

P HOLDSWORTH
Maryport

The co-ordinator of the group, Jonathan Wood, has replied:

I refer to the letter P Holdsworth dated 23rd February. Can I first start off by talking about the factories in Maryport? The jobs that were available at the factories such as Cumbrian Seafoods have been vacant for years although many local people refused to work there. The Eastern European workers only go where there are jobs as over 97% of migrant workers are in paid employment.

You say that immigrant workers are not to blame for the lower wages and it is the fault of the government and the bosses, so removing migrant workers still doesn't take care of the real problem. The wages would still be low and the factories would still have job vacancies which people would be unwilling to fill which in turn would lead to the eventual closure of the factory which means no employment for people such as yourself.

There are actually 5.5 million Britons which equates to 10% of the population living abroad. This is what is currently causing the pensions crisis. Due to our ageing population, it is predicted that there will be only 2 workers for every pensioner, this would place severe strains on the welfare state and may lead to the end of state pensions and the NHS as well as many other things we take for granted.

As for Maryport Against Racism being 'a few immature six form students on an ego trip.' May I point out that I am the only sixth form student in the group. There are several University students doctors, councillors and various other backgrounds. I don't think insults are a positive way to conclude your argument.

We should also not forget why Maryport Against Racism is campaigning against the BNP. Whenever the BNP have been elected into council, they have been useless. Their manifesto is not too different to that of the Nazis in 1930's Germany (the British standards board actually stated that it should not be deemed slanderous to call the BNP Nazi) and many of the BNP elite have been in the past members of extreme right wing parties e.g. Nick Griffin (the leader) was once a senior member in the International Third Position. This is a party that advocates the burning of Jewish babies and the hanging of homosexuals.

Jonathan Wood,
Maryport