UKIP

The messages they carry bear no relationship to the truth and are designed to promote irrational fear and resentment within our communities.

It is ludicrous to suggest that the UK is threatened by hordes of immigrants from the EU and outside “coming to take our jobs”. God knows what else they might suggest next.

Ukip has taken this European election campaign to a new low and it is time all of us who are committed to racial harmony and the intrinsic creativity that comes from diverse peoples living and working together to speak out against their poisonous campaign.

The North-East should condemn Ukip loud and clear in the elections on May 22 by not voting for them. My vote goes to the Lib Dems.

We have a new axiom in British politics: “Lies, damned lies and Ukip.”

Ian GL Jones, North-East Liberal Democrats chair, Middlesbrough.

IT is comforting to know not only do we give the EU £53m-aday plus a large slice of our £10.6 bn overseas aid budget, we don’t control any of this money.

The EU can’t even get its accounts signed off because of corrupt practices.

A majority of politicians are proud of this when in reality it’s gross incompetence on their part.

It is time to stop the train and dump this lot on the road. We have more people than we can cope with and can’t stop more coming. Housing, the NHS and education are under extreme pressure. Political correctness is driving the country to destruction helped by the loony liberal left.

Remember to vote in the European elections. Show your contempt for the Lib-Lab-Con gravy train.

RJ Gunn, Kirk Merrington.

THE Ukip poster suggesting that 26 million Europeans are poised to come here and take jobs has been called racist.

I think it is far worse.

The fact is that the conditions of work in other countries are worse than they are here and so workers from some countries would find it beneficial to come here. They would undercut British workers, but that is the consequence of improvements in wages and conditions here and the existence of the minimum wage.

The power and influence of the trade unions has been eroded but some employers still find them to be too powerful and deliberately recruit from abroad and the free movement of labour within the European Union enables them to do so.

Workers who are not unionised, and probably unskilled and in a precarious position, could well be attracted by what Ukip are implying.

But they would be deceived if they thought that Ukip was really interested in their welfare.

I understand the disillusion many must feel with the traditional political parties and why they seek an alternative.

Ukip is not the answer they would like.

Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.

IT is with amusement that I find Nigel Farage and his party are being branded racist yet again.

Jeremy Clarkson is also branded with this much used and abused phrase for naming his dog Didier Dogbar. This is a play on words more than race. I have a good friend who is called Chalky because his name is White – not because he is black.

A white dog was often called Snowy, and a black dog was called Darkie or Blackie, a brown dog was called Rusty. My wife and I were speaking yesterday to the owners of a bulldog named Dave – is that derogatory to the Daves of this world? I think not.

John Cumberland, Rushyford.