In a week that the district council agreed cross party support for a motion condemning racism and xenophobia because the country has seen an increase in such views following the EU referendum, it was regrettable that 'The Shuttle' gave David Taylor a platform to express his own version of this prejudice in its letters page (Shuttle, August 4).

It matters not which side of the referendum debate you were on, and the authors of this letter were most certainly on different sides, we should all be united in opposing such attitudes. Undoubtedly, sInce the EU referendum, there has been a rise in criminal acts of a racist and xenophobic nature. Nothing justifies this, especially when the main issue was the failure of politicians to address working people's economic interests. Whilst it was clear this manifested itself as concern over immigration, the root problem for working people feeling neglected by politicians is concern about jobs and employment rights, living standards, housing, education, health, transport, and public services generally. This has arisen from a policy of austerity forced on us by those who are out of touch with working people whether they are in Government or the political class generally, and who are serving the interests of the global elite by economic, political, or even military means. Mass movement of people could be more readily avoided if efforts were focused on global economic equality.

The country is divided and we all need to work together to heal the wounds, whatever happens going forward following the referendum. The problems we face are not caused by immigrants or the Scots, who “have a dislike of the English in their DNA”, according to Mr Taylor. 'The Shuttle' must take care to remember its own role in this rebuilding of our society and so should apply a measure of improved editorial oversight when it comes to publishing racist remarks.

Mr Taylor obviously has no idea of the role Scots played in the carpet industry which made Kidderminster famous across the world. William Adam, for example, was the technical genius who got Axminster power looms up and running in the town. His family’s firm is one of the few remaining in the town.

Once Mr Taylor has dismissed the Scots, immigrants, and the young as irrelevant, then the “nation” he speaks of will still be one where the rich and powerful do not invest in the jobs and services working people need. We doubt the influential rich will have a change of heart post referendum about their desire to export our jobs overseas. Sadly, we will all likely continue filling our homes with goods made in China so the rich can maximise profits and exploit us leaving UK workers no better off and no more secure in employment than before.

In order to move forward now, it is vital that we respect each other irrespective of nationality or age, and that we should understand the underlying reasons why both sides voted as they did in the referendum. We may still disagree on some things but the way ahead must be for ordinary working people to join together on the things we do agree upon to ensure we get a UK government capable of planning the economy so that jobs, services, and decent living standards return to places like Wyre Forest.

Stephen Brown

Kidderminster

Nigel Gilbert

Kidderminster