I WOULD like to comment on the letter from Chris Watkin of UKIP, Guardian, December 3, particularly his misinformed comments about immigrants.

I should declare that I emigrated to this country in 1961.

My father came in 1939 and served as an active soldier in the Second World War. Like all of the immigrants that I have ever met, we came to work and earn a living.

To leave family and friends behind was a painful wrench, which I believe is still the case. What has changed are the countries of origin and after the current tranche from Europe has been absorbed and added to the strength of the nation, it will change again as it always does. Mr Watkin’s accusations that immigrants are the source of all our problems in housing, schools and the NHS just do not stand examination as is usual with UKIP claims. 

Yes there are parts of the country where pressure does exist, but it was Margaret Thatcher’s Tories who sold off most of the stock of cheap rented housing for which we are now paying the price and to claim that immigrants have anything to do with the slow destruction of the NHS, again orchestrated by a Tory government, is plainly ridiculous.

In fact our hospitals owe their very survival to the contribution of surgeons, doctors, nurses, care assistants and support staff who have come from abroad.

The same goes for our care homes and other parts of the general economy such as the hotel industry, the retail sector, agriculture and the building industry in large areas of the country.

It is not in UKIP’s nature to remind the general public of this because it does not suit its narrow minded and emotive agenda.

Liam Byrne Northwich