Populist threats cannot be averted by knee-jerk reactions and populist responses (“German move to impose border checks ‘reopens old wounds’”, Report, October 7). As recent state elections confirmed, this sort of “populism-lite” policy response increases the social acceptability of neo-nationalism while leaving the underlying challenges unaddressed.

Any sustainable response to migration issues must be based on the explicit recognition that first, conflict and climate are likely to amplify migratory pressures; and second, the economic exclusion of refugees from society encourages the very behaviour that the populist right exploits in its propaganda.

Instead of torpedoing the Schengen system of frictionless travel, one of the main achievements of the European project, it would be helpful to reflect on the experience of societies that have managed to build prosperity on the integration of large numbers of foreign workers while insisting on the primacy of local traditions, with severe penalties for those who break the rules.

For Germany, two changes to existing policies could be the starting point for a migration policy that takes into account the interests of the state, its citizens and incoming migrants alike.

First, when temporary permits are granted, the government and the migrant would sign an individual contract specifying the state’s support and the corresponding expectations of how the refugee should behave. Failure to comply would result in the rejection of any application for residency.

Second, migrants should be allowed to find work in order to (i) become self-sufficient (and reduce their dependence on welfare programmes); (ii) learn the language “on the job” and (iii) be spared the humiliation of being seen as a failure by their families, who often have sponsored their flight in the expectation of future remittances.

This early phase would thus constitute a “probationary period” in which society and the migrants themselves could assess the respective benefits of permanent residence.

Jan-Peter Olters
Managing Director, Olters, Herrnburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

THIS massive restaurant chain is to deliver a Christmas dinner feast to your door this festive season.

Côte restaurants have launched their indulgent range of Christmas meals designed by Gordon Ramsay’s former Executive Chef.

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Steve Allen – who previously ran Michelin-starred restaurants – has focused on fresh seasonal ingredients to showcase the classics, with a French twist, at Christmas.

This Christmas the premium delivery Côte at Home service has come up with three luxury Christmas feasts complete with simple instructions – so there’s less stress for the season.

In less than three hours, and with minimal fuss, the luxurious meals are ready to be served.

All three Côte at Home Christmas boxes have been specially designed so that dishes can be heated at the same temperature, avoiding oven hassle and more time to relax with loved ones.

Three of the Côte at Home Christmas boxes

The Côte Festive Turkey Feast (£124.95) serves up to six people and includes:

• A 2-2.5kg marinated British turkey breast from Larchwood Farm, East Anglia as the traditional centrepiece
• Pigs in Blankets with a spiced honey glaze
• Spiced Braised Red Cabbage
• Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
• Roast Potatoes
• Rainbow Roasted Carrots
• Sage & Onion stuffing
• Shallot & Thyme Jus

The second box of Christmas comes with the same side dishes, but you and your guests will dine on 1kg Chateaubriand instead.

The Côte Festive Chateaubriand Feast serves up to six and costs £154.95.

Or you can opt for the third box which is a vegetarian feast for two costing £54.95, featuring:

• Two individual Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin’s with toasted almonds and Chèvre Buchette goat’s cheese served with all the trimmings
• Spiced Braised Red Cabbage
• Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
• Roast Potatoes
• Rainbow Roasted Carrots
• Sage & Onion stuffing
• Shallot & Thyme Jus

There’s also a selection of delicious festive starters including:

• Chicken Liver Pâté (£8.95), infused with Grand Marnier and served with a fig chutney
• Truffled Pumpkin Soup (£5.95) topped with crumbled chestnuts and pumpkin seeds
• Brûlée Camembert (£5.95) which is sprinkled with sugar and caramelised to create a hard sweet crust, with grape chutney

All starters come with a freshly baked demi baguette.

Côte at Home also offers a selection of festive desserts:

• Pear & Almond Frangipane Tart with winter berry coulis (£8.95)
• Brandy Butter Madeleines with whipped brandy butter (£8.95)
• Bûche de Noël, a traditional chocolate roulade with pistachio cream (£15.95)

If you want to fill the fridge with other meals during the festive season, Côte’s chefs have designed another two exclusive boxes.

These mean you have more time to sit back and less time needing to focus on the big shop.

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The Côte Christmas Breakfast Box (£64.95), for two or more people

You can enjoy a Continental breakfast of croissants, mini jams, French bread and butter, yoghurts, our Côte granola and Valencian orange juice.

There’s also smoked salmon, Comté cheese and Jambon de Savoie ham, alongside Cumberland sausages, Boudin Noir black pudding, Dingley Dell smoked back bacon and free-range eggs.

The Côte Christmas Evening Box (£74.95), for two or more people

Enjoy a selection of French cheeses, charcuterie and luxury fish perfect for a cold buffet of luxury food. All accompanied by crackers, confit jams, cornichons, olives and sourdough demi baguette.

Côte Christmas Drinks Package (£84.25)

Côte at Home also offers a range of drinks gift packages this year, alongside some chocolate and Champagne gifting options.

Start (or end) the day with their exclusive house blend coffee, followed by Buck’s Fizz courtesy of Montaudon Champagne and Valencian orange juice.

Côte’s Les Mougeottes Pinot Noir pairs perfectly with your main meal, and there’s a bottle of Quinta do Crasto Port to enjoy alongside desserts of one of our French cheese boxes.

There’s also a range of wine packages – mixed, white and red wines, three bottles of exclusive French wine for £39.95.

And a Champagne and Crémant package for £59.95.

If you’re looking for a smaller gift, this year Côte are partnering with Montezuma chocolates and offering their ‘Into the Dark’ and ‘Dairy Beloved’ gift boxes with your choice of Champagne, Crémant or Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Rosé for £34.95 – £39.95.

Executive Chef, Steve said: “Our Côte at Home Christmas boxes have everything you need to creative a fabulous festive feast.

“From seasonal starters through to the main event and show-stopping desserts, you’ll find a selection of classic Christmas dishes with a touch of French flair.

“What’s more, everything is effortless to prepare in your own kitchen, so you won’t miss out on that all-important time with friends and family. Joyeux Noël!”

Delivered direct to your door Côte at Home festive menus and dishes are now on sale with delivery available nationwide from 18th – 23rd December.

Visit coteathome.co.uk to book your delivery and view the complete Christmas menu.

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Sixty of the wealthiest people in the UK collectively contributed more than £3bn a year in income tax, the BBC has learned.

The amount of income tax they paid is roughly equivalent to around two-thirds of Labour’s entire additional spending commitments in their manifesto earlier this year.

Each of the 60 individuals had an income of at least £50m a year in 2021/22, but many will have earned far more and probably pay large amounts in other taxes too.

There is concern tax rises in this month’s Budget could prompt an exit of the super-rich, hurting UK finances. Labour ruled out income tax changes, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves left the door open for other tax hikes.

A Treasury spokesperson said the government was committed to “addressing unfairness in the tax system”.

Swiss banking giant UBS predicted in July the UK would lose half its millionaires by 2028, partly as a result of some switching to low-tax countries.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the Treasury needed to be aware that a small number of this super-rich group leaving the country would create a “relatively big hole in its finances”.

But the Green Party argued claims taxing the wealthy more would lead to them leaving the UK were not credible.

The BBC reported last month about concerns within the Treasury that one of the main fundraisers for those pledges, the scrapping of the non-dom scheme, would raise far less money than first hoped.

Scrapping that scheme, which allows a UK resident to be registered abroad for tax purposes, was initially thought to be worth £1bn.

Government ministers have also said the previous Conservative government left a £22bn “black hole” in the public finances.

This has led to discussions within government about potential tax increases in the forthcoming Budget and in August the chancellor refused to rule out an increase in capital gains tax.

Stuart Adam, a senior economist at the IFS, said reports of wealthy individuals leaving the UK were currently just anecdotal.

But he warned that it would not take a mass exodus to cause issues for the public coffers, as “tax payments are very concentrated on a small number of people”.

“There’s clearly a risk there that Rachel Reeves has to think about,” Mr Adam said.

“Some of the tax changes that have been speculated are very concentrated on those at the top of the income distribution.”

There could “be more at stake from these people than just the income tax they’re paying” as the individuals in question would likely be paying large amounts in other forms of taxation such as capital gains, Mr Adam added.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer warned against taking threats by the super rich to leave the country seriously.

“This didn’t happen when changes were made to non-dom status in 2017,” she said.

“There are lots of reasons that the wealthy choose to live in the UK, including work, family and culture, and many are happy to pay a bit more if it means a happier and healthier society.”

The figures, which were compiled by HMRC, have been obtained through Freedom of Information laws and relate to 2021/22, the latest year for which data is available.

That year, the UK had a total income tax receipt of £225bn, with contributions from some 33m taxpayers.

The 60 people with incomes of more than £50m made up just 0.0002% of UK taxpayers and together paid 1.4% of the income tax receipt.

HMRC initially blocked the release of the information on the grounds that disclosing the figures would identify the individuals in question.

But the authority agreed to release the data after further requests by the BBC.

The IFS has said a way to dissuade wealthy individuals from leaving the UK could be to introduce an “exit tax”.

Some other countries “say that if you leave the UK, we will tax you on gains that have accrued while you’re here, even if you don’t sell the asset until later”, Mr Adam said.

“And symmetrically, we will exempt people who built up gains before they came to the UK, even if they sell assets while they’re here.”

A Treasury spokesperson said: “We are addressing unfairness in the tax system so we can raise the revenue to rebuild our public services.

“That is why we are removing the outdated non-dom tax regime and replacing it with a new internationally competitive residence-based regime focused on attracting the best talent and investment to the UK.”