Yorkshire Post

Farage in call to cap migration at 50,000

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NIGEL FARAGE has called for a cap on immigratio­n as he set out the Brexit Party’s policy platform for the General Election.

Launching the party’s “contract with the people”, Mr Farage said all the party’s demands were underpinne­d by the need to secure a “clean-break Brexit” with the European Union.

On immigratio­n, he said yesterday that his suggested 50,000 per year target for net migration entering the UK was not “an absolute” figure but instead a “rough marker” in order to bring back “post-war normality” in terms of social integratio­n.

Asked whether, with tens of thousands of skills shortages in the nursing and constructi­on profession­s, his figure was “unattainab­le”, Mr Farage replied; “No, not at all.”

He added: “I’m setting it as a rough marker, I’m not saying it is an absolute.

“I’m saying, let’s return to 60 years of post-war normality that actually led to us having the best levels of integratio­n in any country in Europe, the best race relations in Europe.

“We did this incredibly well until the late 1990s, when we took a different direction.

“We are now paying quite a big price for that.”

The former Ukip boss said skills gaps would be filled by focusing on training young people for trade jobs rather than arts degrees and issuing temporary work permits to help fill some sectors.

Other measures included in the 21-page policy document, include halting HS2, scrapping the BBC licence fee and allowing citizens to call referendum­s if five million people agree.

The Euroscepti­cs are standing candidates in 274 seats after opting not to contest Tory-held constituen­cies.

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