Published on Liberal Democrat Voice By Rabi Martins | Tue 21st October 2014 – 11:58 am

There are some things in life that go hand in hand

In the UK it is a General Election and talk of Immigration Controls

In every general election since Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” speech Labour and the Conservatives have sought to out-do each other on the toughness of their respective policies on immigration Usually the war of words starts at about the same time as the political parties start their election campaign. This time round the battle has already started even though the General Election is some six months away And the reason? The Tories are running scared of UKIP as Nigel Farage sets himself up as the only  gatekeeper who can be trusted to keep immigrants at bay and land election defeat on Conservatives the back of it.

A couple of months back even Nick Clegg felt compelled to pronounce that Liberal Democrats can be just as tough as the other two Parties on controlling immigration To his credit he did go out of his way to emphasise that our policies would be  tough but not insensitive, fair and firm but not discriminatory

And last week David Cameron announced he was going to slam on the brakes on the influx of immigrants from Europe even though it now appears he really has no powers to do so.

What irks me most  about the ease with which all parties play political football with immigration is the total disregard they all show for the feelings of the generation of immigrants that have helped make the country what it is today – the fourth wealthiest and one of the most diverse countries in the world.

It is generally accepted that the UK economy has grown and continues to grow largely on the back of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

It is also a matter of record that a significant number of SMEs are run by immigrant owner managers

So I would suggest if we are serious about creating a fairer society and stronger economy,  the last thing politicians need to be doing is bashing would-be immigrant entrepreneurs. These people are not the scroungers they are portrayed as by Farage and the Daily Mail brigade, but risk-taking individuals determined to make a new life for themselves and their families. In the process they of course contribute to our economic prosperity These individuals do not abandon the security of their home and families, then travel thousands of miles in the hope some foreign country will see them alright. They do so because they sense the opportunities that await them in a country that rewards determination, enterprise and hard work

We should welcome this new breed of immigrant because it is they and not our greedy risk averse bankers who will ultimately deliver the stronger economy and fairer society we advocate

And in return for that contribution our country needs to make them feel welcome and wanted in this their new home. That would of course mean allowing families the right to visit and in time live with them Now that strikes me as the true mark of a fair society.

* Rabi Martins is the East of England Diversity Champion.