I WAS disappointed in Chris Loder’s column (Bridport News June 11).

Focusing on the side issue of disorder in a few of the many protests that took place on the previous weekend looks like the old political trick of diverting attention away from the substantive issues.

The protests were happening to highlight the profoundly serious issues of institutionalised racism and I had hoped that he would have used your platform to address this.

For five years the government has created a ‘hostile environment’ in dealing with immigration and citizenship issues.

This has led to terrible injustices and hardships being endured by British citizens who are only being asked to prove they are British because they are black (the so-called Windrush scandal). Most of them around my age (approaching 60) and came here as children in the mid-1960s as British citizens with the absolute right to live here, as I did, but I’m white and was born in Northern Rhodesia. They have lived and worked here since then and suddenly have been asked to provide absurd amounts of proof that they are who they say they are. But as British citizens, they should have been believed the very first time they were asked, and in fact in most cases they have provided copious evidence which was then deemed insufficient.

I am deeply ashamed that this has been done by my government. Let’s not be side-tracked by discussions of public disorder or statues. Let’s stay focussed on the really serious issues and I urge our MP to do everything in his power to pressure the government to immediately stop harassing innocent citizens, properly and swiftly compensate the victims and make sure that we never to do anything like this again.

CHRIS SAVORY
Bridport