Liberal Democrats vow to ease migrant laws and scrap targets

Immigration laws should be relaxed and targets scrapped, senior Liberal Democrats will say tomorrow.

Delegates to the party’s conference will also debate plans to close detention centres, end indefinite detention, and allow asylum seekers to work after three months.

The controversial motion is likely to split the party, with some members regarding the proposals as too liberal while others say they do not go far enough.

But Conservative MPs said the Lib Dems were taking Labour’s stance and ignoring the lessons of the Brexit vote. 

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘It would appear the Lib Dems have learned nothing from the referendum result and are adopting the Labour party’s open door immigration policy.

‘They clearly want to eliminate illegal immigration – and they will do because if they were ever in power, there would be no illegal immigration because everyone would be welcome.’

Lib Dem plans to debate the decriminalisation of sex work are also likely to trigger protests. Feminists are set to demonstrate outside the party’s Brighton venue today.

The Liberal Democrats are holding their annual conference in Brighton from September 15-18.

There will be a number of things to watch out for, such as:

• Questions over Sir Vince Cable’s leadership, or as critics would put it, lack of leadership, is expected to continue to dominate party chatter, but are unlikely to spill over onto the conference floor after a pre-emptive strike by the ex-business secretary.
•  A stuttering performance in the polls after a lacklustre general election performance has led to calls for a sharper definition, and growing talk of a new centre party with anti-Corbyn Labour MPs and pro-Europe Tories.