Sir – I was concerned to read Oxfordshire County Council ’s portfolio holder, councillor Melinda Tilley’s statement in Chris Koenig’s article (August 9, The impact of population growth).
When asked about school places in the county she said, and I quote: “The elephant in the room here is immigration.
“When the Government opens doors to them I don’t think it really thinks the problem through.” May I suggest councillor Tilley is the elephant in the room.
Since when has there been an open door to immigration? She is obviously not aware of the policies of our government, a government she supports. The vast majority of migrants, be they from the European Union or elsewhere, are economically active, contributing to the nation’s economy, as well as being supportive of their children’s education and the schools that provide it. While I understand that it is difficult to provide every parent with a school place of their choice, it is not right for councillor Tilley to blame this on migrants.
Jeremy Burrows, Oxford
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