OVER the weekend, BBC News 24 inadvertently highlighted the underlying cause of many of the conflicts and suffering that exist in the world at the present time.

In one of the bulletins about buying property in Dubai, the pictures showed magnificent houses with up to 20,000 square feet of floor space which were going to be occupied by a couple of people. These houses were equipped with the most expensive furniture and other equipment costing millions of dollars.

In the next bulletin the news focussed on the plight of the extremely poor people who have lost their lives while trying to escape from poverty and violence. Their crime? Trying to find a better life for themselves and their children in Europe.

There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the problems in the world arise mainly from the dreadful lives that poor people have when compared to those of the obscenely rich. Until these differences are resolved, and the huge gap between rich and poor is resolved, ‘terrorist’ organisations such as Isis will be able to attract the manpower necessary to fight.

A further thought reminded me of the increasing gap that exists in UK society between rich and poor, with the consequential increase in the need for charity and food banks. Unless this situation is rectified, and so far politicians of all parties (apart from the SNP) have shown no determination to do so, then British society will also move towards taking extreme action, and who can blame them? Certainly not me.

David McKeever, York.