I WAS saddened by the reaction to Conservative Parliamentary candidate Nigel Hastilow's opinion that there was something to be learned from Enoch Powell's speech (Echo, Nov 5) as we debate the uncontrolled immigration which is increasingly causing grave concern to the electorate.

To highlight a speech that was taken out of context in the first place shows that, contrary to what we are told, there are those who still seek to suppress debate with needless accusations and insinuation.

The central issue of Mr Powell's 1968 "rivers of blood" speech as named by tabloid editorials was not immigration.

It is, however, interesting that a Gallup poll at the time showed that 74 per cent agreed with Mr Powell and that thousands of workers staged strikes in his support.

My personal view is that the wording of the speech in places was perhaps strong, although the points made, such as predicting that by 2000 there would be seven million living in Britain of ethnic origin, were reasonable.

The 2001 Census shows that there were 4.6 million.

It is frustrating that opposition to immigration and concerns on "diversity" and "multiculturalism"

are still damned as racist and xenophobic.

This only causes tension and does not further the debate.

Des More, Darlington.

IT is clear that immigration is going to dominate the political scene for the foreseeable future.

All parties are treading carefully lest they be seen to be racist.

However, the situation is going to get worse. Indeed, it is critical in some parts of the country with schools, doctors, surgeries and hospitals unable to cope with demand.

The Tories, together with the Government, are trapped in European legislation allowing freedom of movement between member states.

First, the "freedom of movement"

rule has to be abolished and a visa system introduced to show that potential immigrants will not impose an undue burden on local services.

When I went to the US in 1960 I had to demonstrate that I could support myself, and I had to report as an alien once a year to check on my status.

Good system.

Put simply, our political assimilation into a Europe of more 27 nations is a disaster.

Most incomers are economic migrants and I wish our politicians would stop telling us how much immigrants from Eastern Europe contribute to our society. Some do, most don't.

The party that gets to grips with immigration will have no trouble winning the next election. However, none will succeed without the repeal of some European legislation.

Hugh Pender, Darlington.

THE subject of immigration in this country has always been a thorny and difficult issue to address. I believe that Australia has the right approach, whereby you have to have a work skill which is needed there before being accepted.

Other countries, such as Germany, also have a pragmatic approach. If they have a shortage of workers in any of their industries they allow foreign workers in on a fixed-time contract (guest workers).

Regarding illegal immigrants in the UK, many of them claim to be asylum seekers, but the vast majority are simply economic migrants. I do not blame anyone wishing to improve their standard of living by escaping poverty in their own country.

If someone is genuinely claiming to be escaping persecution in their country of origin, when they arrive in a safe country, such as Italy or France, why do they wish to travel on to the UK?

Keith Dewison, Billingham.