Dear Editor,
Peter Sharpe’s defence of Shabana Mahmood (“In defence of Shabana Mahmood”, 27 September) treats performative harshness as a political necessity. He argues that adopting a “bad cop” stance is a shield against the far right, but this pragmatism comes at the cost of basic moral principles.
The Home Secretary’s recent announcement reopening the UK resettlement scheme, prioritising vulnerable Afghan women and Palestinians, is a necessary acknowledgment of our humanitarian duty. However, restricting these routes to token numbers while simultaneously extending waiting times for long-term legal residents exposes a fundamental contradiction. Moving the goalposts for people who have built their lives here legally disregards fairness and undermines respect for human rights.
Protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution is not an optional concession to be capped or traded away for political expediency; it is a fundamental international legal obligation. True political leadership does not mean mimicking the rhetoric of the right to placate hostility. It requires building an asylum and immigration system grounded in legal accountability, efficiency, and unwavering respect for human dignity.
Simon Everett
Glenelg, Highlands
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