Blair: I didn’t know how many migrants would come to UK
TONY Blair was last night accused of being ‘in denial’ after saying his decision to throw open the doors to Eastern Europe migrants made little difference to numbers coming to the UK.
But the former premier, who is now campaigning to block Brexit, admitted he had no idea how many would come when he decided not to impose transitional controls in 2004.
Mr Blair claimed he would only have been able to restrict migration from Eastern Europe for four years after eight countries, including Poland, joined the EU. And he said the ‘majority of immigration from the EU’ came only years later. But in fact, the UK could have put controls on migrants from the new EU countries for seven years, as most EU member states did.
And his decision led to an explosion in the number of people coming to the UK.
Analysis of figures by the Migration Watch lobby group found that 70,000 migrants from the eight affected countries came to the UK in 2004 after restrictions were lifted, with 120,000 the following year and peaking at almost 140,000 in 2006.
Labour had estimated that no more than 13,000 a year would come. In 2004, the number of citizens from the so- called A8 countries living in the UK was estimated at 167,000.
By 2013 it had risen to more than one million, leading Migration Watch to describe it as ‘one of the largest peacetime movements of people in European history’.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen last night said Mr Blair’s claims showed he was ‘in denial’. He added: ‘It’s a straightforward attempt to rewrite history. He’s just trying to airbush his own mistakes from history.
‘I suspect most people in the UK view Tony Blair as a completely discredited figure and this will only add to that.’
Mr Blair was asked about his record on immigration on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show. He acknowledged he ‘didn’t know the numbers’ that would come.
But he said the 2004 expansion of the EU with eight new countries including Poland, Lithuania and Hungary, had been a good thing for Britain’s security and economy.
He said: ‘There was was freedom of movement of people immediately. We could have delayed for four years their ability to come here and work.
‘We didn’t, it’s true, the economy was in a completely different position in 2004. But I point out the majority of EU immigration came post-2008.’
Transitional controls on free movement in most parts of Europe continued for seven years until May 2011. Mr Blair also insisted it was still ‘possible’ that Brexit could be blocked if public attitudes changed.
And he urged Labour to back the idea of a second referendum on the final Brexit deal.
Ukip leader Paul Nuttall said: ‘Blair was wrong then, he is wrong now and from what he is saying plans to remain wrong for the foreseeable future.’
He added: ‘ Like an old tired aristocrat, he has learned nothing from the Referendum, yet forgotten nothing from his years of pomp.’
‘It’s an attempt to rewrite history’