Labour fudge on free movement policy

‘We’ll always make the positive case for immigration and the benefits it has brought to our country. We will never treat people as statistics’

LABOUR’S new leadership has refused to say whether it will end freedom of movement after Britain leaves the EU.

Nick Thomas-symonds, shadow home secretary, said it would introduce a system based on “fairness” and “justice”, adding: “We will always make the positive case for immigration and the great benefits that immigration has brought to our country.”

In response, a Conservative source said: “Despite the British people wanting mass uncontrolled immigration to end, Labour still don’t get it. Their new shadow home secretary failing to say they will end free movement just shows they still aren’t on the side of the British people.”

The second reading of the government Bill to end freedom of movement, and introduce a points-based system to remove Britain’s reliance on low-skilled foreign labour is due this week.

Immigration exposed Labour divisions at the last election. Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, advocated continued freedom of movement, but the manifesto said only that it would be subject to negotiations if the UK left the EU.

Speaking on Sophy Ridge On Sunday on Sky News, Mr Thomas-symonds said one principle for Labour would be the importance of rights to live, work and study in other countries. “We will never treat people as statistics in our immigration system, we will always treat them as people,” he added.

He said policy would also be shaped by the coronavirus crisis, which would impose major restrictions on travel.