Racist and intolerant – is this the Britain we want to become?

St George’s flags flutter on street lamp posts in Canary Wharf, London. ‘This is the recooked racism of Enoch Powell and the National Front of the last century.’ Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Jonathan Liew’s article is a reminder that the immigration debate is never only about policy (What is the endgame in this toxic immigration debate: is it friends and neighbours thrown out of the country?, 10 September). It is about the value placed on human lives. He shows how language presented as reasonable or pragmatic often conceals darker intentions. What once felt impossible can be normalised step by step, until the unthinkable is treated as common sense.

The strength of his piece lies in how it makes the issue personal. By asking us to picture the knock at the door, the packed bags by the hallway, or the quiet hostility from a stranger on a bus, he shows that this is not about statistics but about neighbours, colleagues and friends being treated as outsiders.