Yvette Cooper launches committee probe on immigration with pledge to hold town hall meetings across Britain

Yvette Cooper is to lead a group of MPs on a tour of Britain to better understand the impact of immigration across the country.

The chair of the home affairs select committee launched an inquiry into immigration today and pledged to tackle the failure of “successive governments” on the policy.

Cooper and her committee members will travel round the country and are expected to hold public meetings in towns where anti-immigration sentiment fuelled the Brexit vote and, occasionally, tipped over into racism.

“Immigration is one of the most important issues facing our country and will be central to the Brexit deal. Britain voted for change, especially on free movement, but there has been very little debate about what kind of reforms or immigration control that should now mean or how we get the best deal for the country,” Cooper said today.

“Immigration is really important for Britain – for our economy and society, and it has always been so throughout our history.” she said. While 75 per cent of people want to see reduced immigration, most people also recognise the benefits it has brought to the country and economy, she added.

Cooper criticised ministers’ failure to meet their own goals on immigration, saying: “Net migration hit 335,000 – more than three times the target the government set six years ago” – the highest level it has ever been in Britain.

At the weekend shadow home secretary Diane Abbott also attacked the Tories’ record on migration numbers, saying that any politician who believes in such targets must have a “fool for an economic advisor”.

Cooper, who filled Abbott’s shadow cabinet role in the last parliament, warned of the perils of current debate on the issue, saying it is often: “angry and polarised – an excuse for some people to whip up fear and hostility, dividing communities and making it harder to have a thoughtful discussion about the reforms that are needed. Some people have felt they can’t speak out”.

She also urged a more thoughtful approach to an issue which has “consistently been one of the issues of highest concern over the last ten years”.

“Successive Governments have failed on immigration and public concern has grown. Yet too often the polarised nature of the debate makes it hard to get consensus over what should be done instead. If there is no consensus behind the most important parts of the Brexit deal in the end it will unravel” Cooper said.

Cooper was keen to make the point that this inquiry will be “different” and “outward” looking, saying: “Instead of just taking evidence in Westminster, we will be travelling round every region and nation, holding public meetings, bringing local people together for debates and discussions, citizens’ juries, and online consultations. We are encouraging other organisations to run events and debates too – community groups, business organisations, faith groups, think-tanks, local councils, MPs, media organisations. We want to hear people’s views both about immigration and about how they believe that common ground can be found to stop this issue dividing the country.”