‘There will be a great deal of movement’: Jeremy Corbyn refuses to say whether Labour’s election immigration plans will retain freedom of movement amid an internal row over working class votes
- Labour had finalised its election manifesto and will reveal it on Thursday
- A vote at its party conference backed keeping freedom of movement after Brexit
- But union leader McCluskey warned it could cost votes in working class areas
Jeremy Corbyn admitted today there would be ‘a great deal of movement’ under Labour’s immigration plans if it won the general election.
But the opposition leader stopped short of saying it would maintain or extend freedom of movement amid an internal row about a possible loss of votes in its working class heartlands.
Labour last night agreed its manifesto for December 12’s vote and will unveil it on Thursday, after a vote by members at its party conference backed keeping and extended freedom of movement.
Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show if the policy was in the manifesto, Mr Corbyn said: ‘There will be a great deal of movement. You will know on Thursday.’
It came as the Tories unveiled a raft of measures designed to reduce immigration – without giving any numbers.
The opposition leader stopped short of saying it would maintain or extend freedom of movement amid an internal row about a possible loss of votes in its working class heartlands
Asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show if the policy was in the manifesto, Mr Corbyn said: ‘There will be a great deal of movement. You will know on Thursday’
Asked about the Conservative Party’s immigration proposals, security minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: ‘Anybody who’s already here and is part of the EU settled status scheme, their rights are protected, they are absolutely clearly protected and in place.
‘This will be for new people coming from the EU once we’ve left the European Union under a future immigration system.’
Mr Lewis said his party would not be setting ‘arbitrary’ targets.
Senior Labour MPs have clashed in recent days with Unite leader Len McCluskey, who said the party’s official policy of keeping open borders was ‘not a sensible approach’.
It prompted shadow home secretary Ms Abbott to say: ‘The Labour Party is committed to maintaining and extending Freedom of Movement rights.’
Mr Corbyn today backed the right to family reunions for EU citizens living in the UK, telling Marr: ‘Many of those families have been through unimaginable levels of stress so they absolutely must have the right to remain and bring their families here, as indeed other aspects of family reunion should be available.
Security minister Brandon Lewis told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: ‘Anybody who’s already here and is part of the EU settled status scheme, their rights are protected’
Ms Abbott, right, waded into the row this afternoon, saying: ‘The Labour Party is committed to maintaining and extending Freedom of Movement rights’. Mr McCluskey, left, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, said the party’s official policy of keeping open borders was ‘not a sensible approach’
‘We cannot exist in isolation, therefore there has to be migration into Britain in order to maintain our economy and our services. That will be reflected in the policy you will see on Thursday.’
Asked today about the vote at the Labour Party conference in September, where members backed a policy of freedom of movement, he added: ‘I think the movers of the motion had in mind the questions of family reunions for people from both the European Union and other parts of the world as well, because what you have is people who wholly legitimately make their homes and their contribution here but have an artificial income level put on them if they are allowed to bring partners and children into this country. I think that is what is behind that motion.
‘I agree with the principle that there has to be a right to family reunion, there has to be that right of joining your spouse or whatever in this country. But there also has to be a recognition that our economy, our society, has been enriched massively by people that have made their homes here.’