The Tory race for No 10
Tory front-runner ready to promise ‘fair and balanced’ controls on immigration from EU member states
BORIS JOHNSON is this week expected to announce his intention to “end free movement” of EU migrants and ensure that Britain has “fair and balanced” border controls.
The former mayor of London, who is expected to declare his intention to stand for the Conservative leadership tomorrow, will say that Britain needs to “take back control” of its borders.
The statement followed claims that Mr Johnson would put free trade with the EU above a crackdown on immigration after he said that Britain will “still have access to the single market”.
However a source close to Mr Johnson said: “He would end free movement [of EU migrants], what we need is to take back control. We need a fair and balanced immigration policy to meet the needs of our economy. Numbers are currently too high.”
Mr Johnson’s campaign today receives a significant boost as Liz Truss, the Environment Secretary, announces her support.
Miss Truss is one of several ministers who argued for Britain to stay in the EU and who have announced their backing for Mr Johnson. Nick Boles, the business minister, is another.
He is also likely to receive the backing of Eurosceptic ministers – including Dominic Raab, a justice minister, and Priti Patel, an employment minister.
At least 100 Conservative MPs are expected to back Mr Johnson’s leadership bid, The Sun reported last night.
However, it was claimed that Theresa May, one of the main leadership contenders, had snubbed peace talks with Mr Johnson by leaving him waiting on his own in a room for 40 minutes.
The two were to hold talks at a Cabinet Office meeting brokered by Justine Greening, the International Develop- ment Secretary, and Anne Milton, the deputy chief whip.
However Mrs May did not turn up. Sources close to the Home Secretary last night suggested that she had never intended to go to the meeting with Mr Johnson in the first place. Mr Johnson wrote in an article for
The Daily Telegraph published on Monday that he “cannot stress” enough that “Britain is part of Europe – and always will be”.
His comments attracted controversy after he said that Britain will still have “access” to the single market. He said: “British people will still be able to go and work in the EU; to live; to travel; to study; to buy homes and to settle down.
“As the German equivalent of the CBI – the BDI – has very sensibly reminded us, there will continue to be free trade, and access to the single market.”
Mr Johnson said throughout the EU referendum campaign that he was “pro-immigration, pro-control of immigration”.
He has called for the introduction of an Australian-style points system which will bar migrants from entering Britain unless they can speak good English and have the right skills for a job
Under his plan an asylum and immigration control Bill would end the automatic right of all EU citizens to enter the UK and bring in an Australian-style points system, which would come into force in the years after Britain leaves the EU.
Under the Australian system, migrants are only granted skilled migration visas if they pass a points test based on what type of job they do, their age, English language skills, previous employment and education.
During the referendum campaign Mr Johnson sought to distance himself from Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, by calling for an amnesty on illegal immigrants who had been in Britain for more than 12 years.
In a speech he said it was “the humane thing to do. It is the economically rational thing do to”.
He added: “It means taking back control of a system that is at the moment completely out of control.
“And if we take back control of our immigration system with an Australian-style points-based system, you will be dealing fairly and justly with every part of the world, and you will be neutralising people in this country and across Europe who wish to play politics with immigration and who are opposed to immigrants.
“And that is the way forward, to neutralise the extremists by taking back control of our immigration system.”
Separately, Sir Lynton Crosby has agreed to take a role in the campaign if Mr Johnson declares his candidacy this week.
The Australian election strategist, who masterminded the Conservative Party’s 2015 general election victory, is understood to have met Mr Johnson in recent days to discuss his plans.
Sir Lynton’s support would come as a huge boost to Mr Johnson, whose main opponent is likely to be Theresa May, the Home Secretary.
Sir Lynton, who did not assist either the Remain or Leave campaigns during the referendum, ran both of Mr Johnson’s successful campaigns to become the mayor of London.