I was intrigued to read (Report, 6 October) that home secretary, Theresa May, believes that mass immigration is “no longer sustainable” as it “leads to the wages of some low-paid workers being undercut and forces thousands of others out of work altogether”. Can we now conclude that the Tories will turn their attention to tackling unregulated globalisation, as it has the same effect?
Nigel de Gruchy
Orpington
• You clarify that “allied prisoners of war held by the Japanese were used as forced labour to build the [Burma-Thailand] railway during the second world war” (Corrections and clarifications, 5 October). To clarify further, those PoWs were greatly outnumbered by Asian civilian slaves. Had this atrocity not also been inflicted upon white, English-speaking victims, it’s entirely possible that it would have been relegated to the footnotes of history in the western world.
Bryn Hughes
Wrexham
• Andrew Brown’s excellent article (Boredom is a bigger threat to the church than gay bishops, 6 October) refers to the “uncertain trumpet” argument regarding compromises on modern sexual mores. We need also to take into account issues of dodgy organs, not least pulling out the stop that His Honour Peter Cook once referred to as “the pink oboe”.
Fr Alec Mitchell
Manchester
• Edwin Lerner missed an important word out of his letter (5 October). Male. The English female cricket, soccer and rugby teams are doing quite well at the moment – although it’s easy to miss, given how little coverage female sport receives. Oh, and thank God for Lizzie Armitstead and Rachel Atherton.
Lisa Smeaton
Zollikerberg, Switzerland
• In April I reported the early arrival of swallows on the Welsh coast (Letters, 6 April). I can report they were still here on 5 October. Early arrival, late departure – climate change?
Geoff Elms
Llanfyrnach, Pembrokeshire
