Welcoming a diverse culture

Dear Sir,

In response to Mr Langley's letter in last week's paper in which he refers to my views on remaining in the EU, I would like to remind him that I am comparing us with what I believe we would be if we left rather than the past when we ruled half the world. We live in a global free market with rising powers such as China, India, Brazil and Russia competing to provide goods and services. It is inevitable in my opinion that we are not as wealthy as we were then; however, that is no reason why with a fairer distribution of resources and improved education and skills training, we cannot all have an excellent quality of life.

I believe that immigrants wherever they come from on balance improve the wealth of this country; the very fact they have overcome challenges to arrive at our shores shows their determination, resilience and ingenuity, traits we need to compete in this global economy.

If we embrace the increased diversity of culture and the associated skills and characteristics that this brings and make use of all the talent within our borders, I am sure we can once again be a world leader within an improved grouping of countries that I am proud to be a member of.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Peter Hirst

Middlewich