Shadow cabinet split over migration policy

Labour manifesto decision on freedom of movement is tearing apart front bench and risks rift with unions

JEREMY CORBYN was last night facing a front-bench split on immigration as claims emerged that a draft version of Labour’s manifesto contains a commitment to freedom of movement.

Shadow cabinet ministers and trade union leaders are expected to clash over the document’s wording, which will be finalised today at a “Clause V” meeting of party grandees.

While Mr Corbyn has repeatedly refused to say whether Labour will pursue an open border policy with the European Union, multiple sources have told this newspaper that the proposal will be put to the meeting.

It comes less than 24 hours after Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, insisted that Labour was “committed to maintaining and extending freedom of movement rights”.

Last night, a shadow cabinet source said that accepting freedom of movement with the EU was the only way to guarantee close alignment with the single market after Brexit. They told The Daily Telegraph: “If we maintain a close relationship with the single market, we’re going to have to maintain freedom of movement. That’s a given.”

A senior union source indicated that freedom of movement was in a draft version of the manifesto.

Labour has taken extra precautions to prevent a repeat of 2017, when the document was leaked to this newspaper and other media outlets, by only allowing shadow cabinet ministers to view segments relating to their portfolio. However, The Daily Telegraph understands that Labour’s immigration policy was shown to members of

‘Clearly, there are some differences of view. It’s no secret we don’t want immigration to become a doorstep issue’

the Labour Unions committee, which met earlier this week in advance of the Clause V meeting.

It was reportedly drafted by Andrew Fisher, Mr Corbyn’s outgoing head of policy. A source with knowledge of the meeting said that it represented a victory for Mr Fisher and pro-remain members of the shadow cabinet over Len Mccluskey, the general secretary of Unite, and Karie Murphy, Mr Corbyn’s former chief of staff.

Both have pushed for tougher controls on immigration after Brexit, with Mr Mccluskey warning on Thursday that maintaining an open borders policy was “not a sensible approach”.

“Andrew has written this manifesto. He’s got his way, Len and Karie haven’t,” the source added. “Andrew’s position on this is the reality that if you’re going to be in the single market… that [freedom of movement] is a given.”

A second source suggested freedom of movement in its current form was unlikely to be included in the final manifesto. However, if the UK voted Remain in a second referendum, they indicated that Labour would not try to reform EU immigration.

However, another prominent Labour figure said they would be “amazed” if the manifesto did not include proposals for some additional forms of control on immigration.

Another warned that the proposal would meet fierce resistance from Unite and members of the shadow cabinet who represent Leave-voting constituencies, adding: “There are some loose threads that will be tied up in the Clause V meeting.

“Clearly, there are some differences of view. It’s no secret we don’t want immigration to become a doorstep issue. It’s a real problem for some of our MPS in working-class seats.

“The Clause V meeting is dominated by the trade unions, and they have a different view on this to Diane and others. You might expect their influence to turn in the meeting.”

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn declined to comment when approached last night.