Cooper says “slippery” Farage’s immigration speech will increase division

Yvette Cooper has accused Nigel Farage of attempting to exploit concerns about immigration rather than attempting to come up with practical policies. The Shadow Home Secretary also derided UKIP for getting themselves in a “ridiculous tangle” on the issue – last week a spokesperson for the party said they would introduce a net migration target of 50,000, while Farage today claims that it is not party policy.

This follows Ed Miliband attacking David Cameron for missing his 2010 immigration promises at PMQs earlier today.

Cooper said:

“Last week, UKIP set a net migration target of 50,000. Today, Nigel Farage says targets are unworkable and UKIP will have no caps at all. Then on the same day he says net migration will be 27,000.

“The Tories and UKIP have got themselves in a ridiculous tangle on their immigration promises. The Tories’ net migration target is in tatters and they are arguing over whether to keep it. Now it seems UKIP are just as chaotic and confused.”

The UKIP leader made a speech in London this morning, saying he wanted to return to “normal” migration of between 20,000 and 50,000. However, he denied that this was a target, and refused to accept that this was a u-turn for the party, claiming it was merely a “change of emphasis”.

Cooper raised her concerns that UKIP was seeking to open up divisions in society, and highlighted holes in their immigration stances:

“Nigel Farage’s slippery approach is just designed to exploit concerns about immigration and increase division rather than ever setting out practical policies to control and manage immigration in a sensible way to make the system fair.

“UKIP’s right wing plans to cut employment rights will lead to more undercutting by agencies and employers who exploit cheap migrant labour and illegal workers. And their plans to pull out of Europe will make it harder to tackle illegal immigration and criminals entering the UK – as they oppose the European Arrest Warrant which deports 1000 suspected foreign criminals a year, and border controls could have to move back to Dover from Calais, with all the problems of tackling illegal immigration that brings.

“At the same time their net migration plans appear to mean no overseas students at all – despite the fact that they bring billions into Britain. 

“Nigel Farage isn’t serious about solving problems, or getting the best deal for Britain, he can’t even work out what his policy is.”