LAbour leAder mAkes big immigrAtion speech in city

Jeremy Corbyn blames government not migrants for pressure on services

Jeremy Corbyn chose fiercely pro-Brexit Peterborough for a big Labour speech on immigration... and said migrants were unfairly blamed for pressure on services. The Labour leader addressed party members and selected media at a closed meeting at the Paston Farm Centre on TuesdaywherehesaidLabour is “not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens”.

However, MrCorbyncame in for criticism locally for either being too pro or too antiimmigration.

MPforPeterboroughStewart Jackson pre-empted the visit by calling on the Labour leader to apologise for “the record levels of immigration caused by his party and the impact on public services in Peterborough.”

Conversely, the Peterborough Green Party said it was “disappointed by the Labour leader’s announcement that he is no longer committed to the principle of free movement and by his decision to make this announcement from Peterborough.”

During a five minuteinterview with the Peterborough Telegraph, Mr Corbyn was asked what he would say to residents whostruggletogeta GPappointmentortheirchild a school place.

Hereplied: “I would say we shouldbringbacktheMigrant Impact Fund that Gordon Brown’s government established in 2009/10 which was there to support local governmentwithfundingtoincrease the number of school places, the number of GPs and hospital facilities.

“That surely has to be the right answer to it, but also recognise that there are many people working within our National Health Service who have come from other parts of Europe who are crucial to the survival of those services.”

Asked whether people wouldbelessconcernedabout immigrationiftherewasmore funding for services, Mr Corbyn said: “I think sometimes there are issues surrounding shortages of services in which people are unfairly blamed.

“I think the real issue is the wayinwhichthisgovernment has treated local government services.”

June’s EU referendum saw 61 per cent of Peterborough

Jeremy Corbyn speaking at the Paston Farm Centre