Forget the ‘brightest and best’ immigrants – we need to consider them all if we want any chance of thriving

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

It is quite clear that the country needs immigration, and contrary to the soundbites and vague statements that provide a poor substitute for government policy, we need immigrants to fulfil a wide range of roles.

Setting minimum salary levels will not help farmers, care homes, hotels and restaurants fill their vacancies. The strategy of allowing only higher earners to join the UK workforce demonstrates a profound failure in education, training and social mobility.

If our immigration is solely targeted at “the brightest and the best”, the inference is that the low-paid roles will be filled by existing UK citizens. Filling the high-skill needs of our economy by immigration might be cheaper and quicker than tackling the root causes of the shortfall, but in the long run failure to address these issues will create more and bigger problems in the future.

David Wallis
Cirencester

Is anyone else struck by the utter arrogance of the Tories stated immigration aims? Who do we think we are to demand only the “brightest and best” from other countries around the world, particularly medical staff, who have been trained at great expense to serve desperate needs in their own countries?

As for all the minimum-wage, insecure, unpleasant jobs – well, they will do for the locals!

Helen Edworthy
Colne

No to voter ID

My nephew has cerebral palsy and is a graduate. He has been waiting 20 years for a bus pass. He has no foreseeable need to renew his passport at a cost of £75.50.

He will never have a driving licence. He is one of the countless thousands who would be disenfranchised if required to have a photo ID to vote in a future election.

Christopher Hall
Banbury

We need to talk about Palawan

I live in Prague, the Czech Republic. I read The Independent and I am very disappointed that you haven’t reported on the horrific situation on the island of Palawan in the Philippines.

The Philippines has replaced Brazil as the most murderous country in the world for people defending their land and environment, according to Global Witness. People who confront miners, loggers, farmers, poachers and other extractive industries are said to have been killed. And because of the agricultural lobby’s influence, the land-grabbers now have more sway. In fact, the government of Philippines seems to be openly neglecting human rights and the protection of the environment, which has contributed to escalating conflict over land.

Tomas Cihak
Prague

Google doodle gaffe

I am usually quite a fan of Google’s doodle/image of the day.

However, I was not at all impressed by Saturday’s effort to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago.

To me, it trivialises the massive significance of this historic day somewhat by showing an image which looked more like a garden fence panel which has come down between two adjoining gardens.

This heralded the end of the Cold War, for goodness sake.

Judi Martin
Aberdeenshire