Sir – It is interesting to compare two events in the news last week.

Firstly, the letter in this newspaper from the Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder, in which she argues that this country should be doing more to help refugees.

She postulates that in order to prevent “our consciences being haunted by the plight of refugees”, such as those currently encamped at Calais, it would be “in Britain’s best interest to take charge of the pressures” from such camps.

Presumably, to ‘take charge of the pressures’ is Eurospeak to mean the Government should acquiesce to the demands of these migrants, who predominately appear to be mobile phone-equipped, able-bodied young men, and grant them passage to the UK. Unlike Ms Bearder, I prefer to call them ‘migrants’ and not ‘refugees’, as obviously not all those on the move are, by definition, refugees.

Secondly, on the same day the above letter was published, David Cameron, in the House of Commons, accepted that much more needs to be done to address thecurrent chronic lack of housing in the UK and the extortionate rents charged in the private sector.

Of course, migrants coming to this country need housing, indeed, as we have heard from the media, a house is one of their first expectations. However, with an accepted chronic lack of housing, perhaps Ms Bearder might like to explain how a large influx of migrants would be accommodated in this country.

Will they be given priority over existing UK residents, already desperate for housing, or will they be put in private rented accommodation at significant taxpayers’ expense while putting additional strain on our already overburdened health and welfare services.

Sadly, politicians so often fail to recognise that reality on the ground is totally inconsistent with their political dreams in the air.

Mike Rose
Norries Drive
Wallingford