As someone whose parents were given the "red carpet treatment" when they came to Britain more than 50 years ago, I find Eileen Birch's comments about immigrants (Letters, December 14) somewhat offensive.

People did fight in wars to save this country and others came to this country to escape war and oppression. They still do so today.

To say that the Labour Government and Brighton and Hove City Council treat their citizens as "second class" is not fair comment - it's party political-inspired spite.

You only have to look at what the New Deal is doing for local communities such as Whitehawk that were left to rot under the Tories and for those people looking for work.

As a teacher and school governor, I know what schemes such as the literacy and numeracy hours are doing for these children denied opportunities under the last government.

The taxes we all pay are going into recruiting record numbers of police and building more new NHS hospitals than at any time since 1945.

The only clowns around, Mrs Birch, are those on the opposition benches - and no one is laughing.

-E M Telcs, Freshfield Street, Brighton