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Miliband shifts immigration policy, saying Labour 'got it wrong' Miliband shifts immigration policy, saying Labour 'got it wrong'
(40 minutes later)
Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised to deter firms from exclusively employing workers from overseas, as he admits his party "got it wrong" on immigration when in government. Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised to deter firms from exclusively employing workers from overseas, admitting his party "got it wrong" on immigration when in government.
He will say Gordon Brown and Tony Blair should not have allowed uncontrolled immigration from new EU states in 2004. He said Gordon Brown and Tony Blair should not have allowed uncontrolled immigration from new EU states in 2004.
He will also pledge to ban recruitment agencies which use only foreign workers at the expense of "local talent". He also pledged to ban recruitment agencies which use only foreign workers at the expense of "local talent".
But the Conservatives said Labour "couldn't be trusted" on immigration.But the Conservatives said Labour "couldn't be trusted" on immigration.
In 2004, the government allowed free migration to the UK for workers from EU accession states including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.In 2004, the government allowed free migration to the UK for workers from EU accession states including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
'Dazzled'
But its estimates that only about 13,000 people a year would come to the country were soon proved wrong, with a peak net migration figure, from the EU and elsewhere, of 252,000 in 2010.But its estimates that only about 13,000 people a year would come to the country were soon proved wrong, with a peak net migration figure, from the EU and elsewhere, of 252,000 in 2010.
Some countries imposed transitional controls to slow the speed of movement.Some countries imposed transitional controls to slow the speed of movement.
Two incidents encapsulated what many saw as the Labour government's failure to "get" why so many people were worried about immigration.Two incidents encapsulated what many saw as the Labour government's failure to "get" why so many people were worried about immigration.
In 2007 Gordon Brown promised "British jobs for British workers". It was an impossible promise to keep, with the free movement of people within the European Union.In 2007 Gordon Brown promised "British jobs for British workers". It was an impossible promise to keep, with the free movement of people within the European Union.
Mr Brown then famously described a pensioner from Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigot" after she raised immigration with him during the general election campaign.Mr Brown then famously described a pensioner from Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigot" after she raised immigration with him during the general election campaign.
Ed Miliband will acknowledge Labour got it wrong and in so doing alienated some of their core supporters.Ed Miliband will acknowledge Labour got it wrong and in so doing alienated some of their core supporters.
Expect him to take this message to key seats he will need to win back for Labour if he is ever to be prime minister.Expect him to take this message to key seats he will need to win back for Labour if he is ever to be prime minister.
In a speech to the IPPR think-tank, Mr Miliband will say: "It was a mistake not to impose transitional controls on accession from Eastern European countries. We severely underestimated the number of people who would come here. We were dazzled by globalisation and too sanguine about its price. In a speech to the IPPR think-tank, Mr Miliband said: "It was a mistake not to impose transitional controls on accession from Eastern European countries. We severely underestimated the number of people who would come here. We were dazzled by globalisation and too sanguine about its price.
"By focusing exclusively on immigration's impact on growth, we lost sight of who was benefiting from that growth - and the people being squeezed in the middle who were losing out. We became disconnected from the concerns of working people." "By focusing exclusively on immigration's impact on growth, we lost sight of who was benefiting from that growth - whose living standards were being squeezed. We became disconnected from the concerns of working people."
He said Labour had told people concerned about the biggest peacetime migration to the UK to "like it or lump it" and that the public had been "ahead of us" on the issue.
Many in the party blamed the effects on immigration, including the lowering of wages and pressures on social services, for the scale of Labour's defeat in the 2010 general election.Many in the party blamed the effects on immigration, including the lowering of wages and pressures on social services, for the scale of Labour's defeat in the 2010 general election.
Acknowledging that this was a factor, Mr Miliband will promise measures to help British workers, including: Acknowledging that this was a factor, Mr Miliband said some employers had a "nasty, brutish and short-term" attitude to taking on staff, leading to greater exploitation of overseas and British workers.
  • Forcing medium and large employers to declare if more than a quarter of their workforce is foreign
    •
  • Banning employment agencies from taking on only overseas workers
    •
  • Setting up an early-warning system, run by the Migration Advisory Council, to highlight areas where the workforce is "dominated by low-wage labour from other countries"
    •
  • Identifying where British jobseekers need better training
    •
  • Tougher legislation on the minimum wage, with a doubling of the fine from £5,000 to £10,000 for those who break the law
    •
He added that cutting numbers of immigrants was part of the solution but "not enough". He also accused the government of being unrealistic in saying it will limit net migration to "tens of thousands", as the vast majority of those coming to the UK were from EU countries.
Following Labour's defeat at the 2010 general election, a number of candidates in the Labour leadership race - including Mr Miliband - cited immigration as an area where Labour had failed to connect with voters. Instead he promised measures including:
The Labour leader will defend the economic, social and cultural benefits of immigration, but accept his party did not always listen to people's concerns.
  • Forcing medium and large employers to declare if more than a quarter of their workforce is foreign, so that gaps in training British workers can be addressed, allowing them better to compete
    •
  • Banning employment agencies from taking on only overseas workers
    •
  • Extending the scope of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority to all sectors where workers are being exploited
    •
  • Setting up an early-warning system, run by the Migration Advisory Council, to highlight areas where the workforce is "dominated by low-wage labour from other countries"
    •
  • Identifying where British jobseekers need better training
    •
  • Tougher legislation on the minimum wage, with a doubling of the fine from £5,000 to £10,000 for those who break the law
    •
In a reference to an incident during the 2010 election campaign, when Gordon Brown was caught on a microphone dismissing a voter who had raised the issue as "bigoted", Mr Miliband will say voters have legitimate fears. He said he would not make "promises that can not be kept" on cutting immigration from within the EU, which is beyond the control of British governments.
"Worrying about immigration, talking about immigration, thinking about immigration, does not make them bigots. Not in any way. They are anxious about the future," he will argue. But he would seek ways to "level" the playing field for British workers in the jobs market.
He will add that promising "British jobs for British workers", another reference to a phrase used by Mr Brown, is not credible - but providing a "level playing field" for British workers is. And he vowed that a future Labour government would introduce "maximum transitional controls" to limit migration if the EU expanded to include more countries.
The Labour leader is expected to say there is "nothing wrong with anyone employing Polish builders, Swedish childminders or French chefs". He added that promising "British jobs for British workers", another reference to a phrase used by Mr Brown, was not credible - but providing a "level playing field" for British workers was.
But he will add: "The problem we need to address is in those areas and sectors of the economy where local talent is locked out of opportunity. The Labour leader said there was "nothing wrong with anyone employing Polish builders, Swedish childminders or French chefs".
"The idea that in core sectors of our economy, industries like construction or agriculture, you can get recruitment agencies who boast all their workers are Polish or denigrate the talents who are living locally, is deeply wrong." But he added: "The problem we need to address is in those areas and sectors where local talent is locked out of opportunity."
For the Conservatives, immigration minister Damian Green said: "They still don't think immigration was too high when they were in power and they still won't say that immigration needs to come down.For the Conservatives, immigration minister Damian Green said: "They still don't think immigration was too high when they were in power and they still won't say that immigration needs to come down.
"That's why they've opposed every one of the government's policies to cut immigration, and it's why they cannot be trusted to run Britain's immigration policy.""That's why they've opposed every one of the government's policies to cut immigration, and it's why they cannot be trusted to run Britain's immigration policy."