Labour should oppose plans to end freedom of movement, readers say

LabourList readers have rejected calls to oppose freedom of movement as immigration continued to be a source of debate among the party’s MPs.

Two-thirds of readers – 67 per cent – said Labour should not commit to ending free movement.

A quarter of respondents say Labour should oppose the policy while eight per cent were not sure.

Immigration has been a topic of huge debate in the party recently, with Diane Abbott saying that a target-based approach is foolish, and Andy Burnham arguing that the referendum vote was a clear rejection of free movement.

Readers are confident that a push against the Tories’ grammar schools plans will help boost Labour’s rating, with 57 per cent believing so. Just over a quarter, 27 per cent, of respondents think it will not and one in six – 16 per cent – were not sure.

It comes a week after Progress held a rally in Parliament against grammar schools, with contributions from the shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, and backbench MPs Lucy Powell, Wes Streeting and Peter Kyle. Rayner said the whole “Labour party family” could unite in the fight against Grammars.

Recent moves from Co-op party MPs to promote credit unions in the Commons, by tabling amendments to financial legislation to create incentives for saving with the “community banks”, have prompted discussion about how the party can help the Labour party’s revival.

Asked whether Labour should put measures to help co-operatives at the heart of its economic strategy, three-quarters of respondents (75 per cent) backed the plan. Just over one in ten, 11 per cent said they should not, and 14 per cent were unsure.

2,358 people voted in last week’s survey. Thanks to everyone who took part.