I AM sure most of us will be glad to see the end of the election and the return to normality.

Among the many losers from this event will be immigrants.

For the first time, a major party has made this a campaign issue. I fear that, in future elections, parties will try to "out-bid" each other to be seen as more "anti-immigration" to get votes.

Michael Howard was correct to say talking about immigration was not racist.

But this is only true if the debate is balanced and just. Otherwise you just pander to the bigots. For example, Howard never stated:

43 per cent of nurses and 31 per cent of doctors entering the NHS were trained outside the UK. Hospitals will close without them.

The British Hospitality Association has warned that it will have serious problems if it is unable to employ workers from abroad.

Migrants contribute £2.5 billion more in taxes and NI than they consume in benefits and public services.

Not given these facts, most people carry on with their prejudices, believing that immigrants only want to sponge off the state.

"Economic migration" has become a nasty term in the media's vocabulary.

However, one does not need to go far back in history to see how economic migration to the US, Australia and Canada has contributed to Britain's wealth as well as making those countries vibrant.

The politicians should do more to promote the benefits of this to the UK and work towards getting people to understand and adjust to it.

Seggy T Segaran,

Holgate Road,

York.

Updated: 11:09 Wednesday, May 11, 2005