No details on immigration policy

Sajid Javid has told MPS that the government’s postbrexit immigration policy will not be published prior to the meaningful vote.

The Home Secretary told the Commons that the reforms would see the “biggest change in 45 years” but refused to confirm when the changes would be brought forward.

Mr Javid, speaking at Home Office Questions, said the immigration White Paper would be announced “soon”.

Shadow immigration minister Afzal Khan hit out at the lack of detail published by the government in the run-up to the Commons vote on the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal.

He said: “In a week’s time MPS will be asked to decide potentially the most important vote of our country’s future. Are we to do so without any idea of what our postbrexit immigration system will be?”

Labour MP Bridget Phillipson told Mr Javid he was pushing MPS into a “blindfolded Brexit”.

Mr Javid replied: “All I can say at this moment is that the White Paper will be published soon. I wish I could say more than that.

“It is worth keeping in mind that this is the biggest change in our immigration system in four decades, so it’s important that we take our time and we get it right.”

He added: “We’ve already set out the principles of what a post Brexit immigration system will look like, for example there will be no freedom of movement, there will be a skills-based system.”

Following the announcement, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said: “The Conservative government is insistent on ending free movement, but it doesn’t have a plan to make it happen.

“Nobody voted for a chaotic visa system or to make the UK poorer. There must be a People’s Vote, with the option to remain in the EU.”