Tories abandon migration target as union boss fuels free movement row
The Tories have pledged to cut immigration if they return to power in the general election but will not set “arbitrary targets” for getting numbers down.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said a Conservative government will “reduce immigration overall” through the introduction of a points-based system.
However, ministers also made clear that they were abandoning the party’s longstanding commitment to get net migration down below 100,000 a year – a target they have never met.
The Liberal Democrats accused the Tories of cutting immigration numbers without regard to the consequences. Home affairs spokeswoman Christine Jardine said: “Our public services, including our NHS, rely on the contribution that immigrants make but the Tories are willing to put this at risk just to pursue a nationalist Trumpian agenda.”
Boris Johnson said a pointsbased system would enable the government to control the numbers of workers entering the country without skills or jobs.
“We therefore protect wages and we also make sure that companies in this country, business in this country, invest in the skills of young people growing up in this country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Labour denied it was split over immigration after one of Jeremy Corbyn’s key trade union allies rejected calls to extend free movement of labour.
Unite general secretary Len Mccluskey said a conference motion calling for an extension of free movement was “wrong” unless it was accompanied by stricter labour market regulation.
Earlier, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott posted a tweet confirming Labour was “committed to maintaining and extending freedom of movement rights”.