Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

A dangerous place

A note on Jeff Adams’s latest xenophobic mix. First, it’s rich for him to complain about what he sees as personal abuse (actually response to his arguments) when his letters always intrinsically insult anyone he sees as different.

He takes issue with labelling his irrelevant question about Saudi Arabia and Qatar as irrelevant. Although Britain does have some historical responsibility for the existence of those regimes I don’t see why Mr Adams would want to model UK polices on them. Is he suggesting any other areas of British social policy we should model on dictatorships around the world.

The idea that terrorism can be prevented by keeping out refugees is false. Refugees arriving here are a subset of international movement. Ending migration would bring stagnation in economic and social life which would make life incomparably worse for all of us. On top of that over 39 million tourists came to the UK last year. It makes no sense to fantasise about impermeable borders.

The world has been made a more dangerous place for all its inhabitants by repeated military engagements in the Middle East and elsewhere and the UK has played a big part in that. That is why people have to flee unimaginable horror, undergoing terrific hardship to find refuge.

Britain’s role in the destruction of Libya is relevant here. We need to challenge a foreign policy which continually causes destruction leading to desperation and misery and domestic policy which deliberately marginalises sections of our community.

Peter Smith, Woodside Avenue, Swindon

Time for answers

Even though Jeff Adams addressed his recent letter (Terrorist threat) to the wrong Webb (should have read Martin not Mark), he evaded answering any of my questions regarding Jesus being a refugee, child abuse in the church, and why can’t Jeff offer a hand of compassion to refugees.

I’ll do my best to answer the questions he asks me but I would ask Jeff in which paragraph I referred to the Harbour Project in my letter (Show compassion) and why should you consider as “dictatorial” anyone who opposes your views and opinions?

Instead of complaining about the money given to the Harbour Project by Swindon Council, how about complaining about the billions spent by the government on wars that create refugees in the first place? Can I assure the Adver readers that refugees won’t pose a deadly threat in the future? No I can’t Mr Adams. Can you assure the Adver readers that children are no longer at risk of being abused by paedophiles in the church?

It appears that Jeff Adams must lay quaking in his bed each night at the thought of another mosque appearing in Swindon. Personally I don’t care how many mosques are in Swindon now or in the future. So why is it a concern to you?

Finally Mr Adams, your refusal to condemn the child abuse in the church is, to put it mildly, shameful of you.

No more evasion, time for answers sir!

Martin Webb, Swindon Road, Old Town

Children not fair game

Having read the comments of Dee Curd, secretary of Swindon Trades Council who quite rightly describes the attack on a bookshop as “a worrying insight into the intolerance and disregard for free speech of the far right” – I wonder if she will now offer the same sentiment with regard to those on the far left who confronted the children of MP Jacob Rees-Mogg on the family’s doorstep and in what has been described as a ‘rant’ told them that ‘Lots of people hated their daddy’ and that he was ‘a totally horrible person’.

What sort of sad person would stoop to such low and reprehensible behaviour simply to make a political point and who in their right mind could support a group which considers the children of a politician to be ‘fair game’?

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon