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CURSE OF IMMIGRATION

Limit population say top 'greens'

Sunday April 11,2010

By Stuart Winter

BRITAIN’S soaring population, which is heading towards 70 million in the next two decades, should become an election issue, says a group of eminent environmentalists.

Naturalist Sir David Attenborough, former Government green adviser Jonathon Porritt and UN peace messenger Jane Goodall have written to the three major parties, calling them to end their “silence” on the subject.

Immigration, birth rates and longer life expectancy are expected to increase the number of people living in Britain by an additional 10 million before 2030, straining the country’s roads, energy and water supplies and also the benefits system.

The lifestyle footprints of millions more people will also make it more difficult for the country to reach its targets in reducing climate-change pollution. Last week a Sunday Express poll revealed immigration was one of the key issues on voters’ minds with one in five ranking it their top concern. Only four per cent believe Labour immigration policies have been a success and 75 per cent believe mass immigration has been a failure.

Warning political party leaders that the UK’s population must stop growing, the authors, all patrons of the think-tank charity Optimum Population Trust, warn: “We believe it is in the national interest to stabilise our numbers as soon as possible. We invite all the parties to share our concern.”

Other signatories include Aubrey Manning, president of the Wildlife Trust, Sir Crispin Tickell, ex-diplomat credited with the greening of Margaret Thatcher, Sara Parkin, founder-director of Forum for the Future and actress Susan Hampshire.

The group also says in the letter: “If realised, the projected increase of 10 million more people in the next 22 years, equivalent to 10 more Birminghams, would worsen all this country’s environmental problems including climate change, food, water and energy security, transport congestion, flood risk, waste and pollution, quite apart from pressure on public services. These are all easier to solve with fewer people.”

Labour has not responded while the Conservatives and Lib Dems replied “courteously” but without focusing on the problems, says the charity.