SIR – Was, by any chance, the lead item on John Phillpott’s page on Saturday an attempt on the world record for the number of distortions and misunderstandings per column-centimetre?

Space, I know, is limited, but I’ll list a few: – There is no way this country can be described as “having the most generous welfare system in the world”. It is simply not true – The circumstances “a decade ago” (in regard to Poles, I guess) were totally different to those that came into play on January 1, ie, with regard to Romanians and Bulgarians – Flights from Bucharest and Sofia to Gatwick and Heathrow have been cancelled because there were no passengers – The “wide discussions” in the Tory nationals were, rather, a vicious and xenophobic campaign whose purpose has been to obscure the wholly-avoidable economic and social problems which we face under this appalling government, and to blame foreigners for them, while the BBC was scrupulously fair in its comprehensive coverage (not a “news blackout”) Finally, two worldwide phenomena have played, and continue to play, a major part in all of this.

Firstly, growth in largescale migration, both in and out, results from the system of corporate globalisation which has taken root within the last 30 years; and, secondly, since John and I were young lads, the human population has rocketed from two to seven billions (and growing) – of course we can all expect to be a bit more crowded!

The challenge – a truly global, complex and fraught one – is how to manage all of this fairly.

Narrow nationalism will get none of us anywhere.

DAVID BARLOW

Worcester