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Public support for immigration cuts illustrated by survey Vince Cable criticises David Cameron's migration target
(about 5 hours later)
More than three-quarters of people surveyed in a poll have said they want immigration to be cut, with 56% calling for major curbs. Business Secretary Vince Cable has criticised David Cameron's target of cutting annual net migration to under 100,000 by the next election.
Almost half of people asked, 47%, think immigration is bad for the economy. He said the plan was impractical and would almost certainly not be achieved.
Among the 31% of respondents who said immigration is good for the economy, half wanted to see it reduced anyway. His comments come as a poll suggests more than three-quarters of people surveyed wanted immigration to be cut, with 56% calling for major curbs.
More details of the annual British Social Attitudes survey are to be revealed in a BBC Two documentary called The Truth About Immigration. Almost half, 47%, thought immigration was bad for the economy, the British Social Attitudes Survey found.
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said all political parties now "promise to control" immigration because they are "acutely aware of the high level of public concern" about it. Among the 31% of respondents who said it was good for the economy - half wanted to see immigration reduced anyway.
In the programme, he looked back to a civil service paper published in 2001 which examined the economic and the social impact of immigration. 'Can't control'
The paper concluded that there was "little evidence that native workers are harmed by migration". The prime minister has said he wants net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those emigrating - to be less than 100,000 per year.
Its author, former Cabinet Office economist Jonathan Portes, said: "I think politicians do have to say to individuals who are negatively affected, and let's face it there will be some: 'Yes, we're doing this for the good of our country, and yes you may lose out, but ultimately we still have to do this.' But Mr Cable criticised that "arbitrary cap" which he said "almost certainly won't achieve" its target.
"Just as we said to the coal miners 30 years ago: 'Sorry we can get our coal a lot cheaper abroad. We can't afford to keep on propping you up.'" The Liberal Democrat minister said politicians must be "practical" and accept that some migration could not be controlled.
'Arbitrary cap' "It involves British people emigrating - you can't control that. It involves free movement within the European Union - in and out. It involves British people coming back from overseas who are not immigrants but are counted in the numbers," he said.
David Cameron has said he wants net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those emigrating - to be less than 100,000 per year. "Setting an arbitrary cap is not helpful. It almost certainly won't achieve the below 100,000 level the Conservatives are setting - so let's be practical about it."
But in the programme, Business Secretary Vince Cable criticised that "arbitrary cap" which he said "almost certainly won't achieve" its target. The number of Britons leaving and returning was not controllable, he said, and free movement to and from Europe could only be stopped by leaving the EU.
The Liberal Democrat said politicians must be "practical" and accept that some migration cannot be controlled. Mr Cable was speaking in a BBC Two documentary called The Truth About Immigration, in which more details of the annual British Social Attitudes survey are revealed.
He said the number of Britons leaving and returning was not controllable, and free movement to and from Europe could only be stopped by leaving the EU. Former Labour Foreign Secretary Jack Straw tells the programme the previous government "got it wrong" on immigration, "and I deeply regret it".
Former Labour foreign secretary Jack Straw said the previous government had "got it wrong" on immigration, "and I deeply regret it". He adds: "I regret it because it undermines trust in government, if you're that wrong."
He added: "I regret it because it undermines trust in government, if you're that wrong." Labour MP and ex-home secretary David Blunkett adds: "We didn't spell out in words of one syllable what was happening, partly because of a fear of racism."
Labour MP and ex-home secretary David Blunkett added: "We didn't spell out in words of one syllable what was happening, partly because of a fear of racism." Current Home Secretary Theresa May says: "I think the problem in the past has been that there's been this general assumption that immigration was always good for the economy.
Current Home Secretary Theresa May said: "I think the problem in the past has been that there's been this general assumption that immigration was always good for the economy.
"I don't think people have looked at it sufficiently closely to be able to recognise the impact it has on members of the public.""I don't think people have looked at it sufficiently closely to be able to recognise the impact it has on members of the public."
UKIP leader Nigel Farage told the programme: "They tried to rubbish us, they tried to say that anybody that dared to talk about this subject was necessarily a bad person and racist, that was what they tried to do and actually this has been going on ever since [Enoch] Powell's speech." 'Public concern'
UKIP leader Nigel Farage tells the programme: "They tried to rubbish us, they tried to say that anybody that dared to talk about this subject was necessarily a bad person and racist, that was what they tried to do and actually this has been going on ever since [Enoch] Powell's speech."
In the so-called "rivers of blood" speech, made in 1968, Mr Powell said Britain's immigration policy was like watching a nation "heaping up its own funeral pyre".In the so-called "rivers of blood" speech, made in 1968, Mr Powell said Britain's immigration policy was like watching a nation "heaping up its own funeral pyre".
He was sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet by party leader Edward Heath, who said it was "inflammatory and liable to damage race relations".He was sacked from the Conservative shadow cabinet by party leader Edward Heath, who said it was "inflammatory and liable to damage race relations".
Asked whether he thought Mr Powell was right, Mr Farage said: "He was right for the wrong reasons. He was wrong in the sense that he felt that black and white would find it difficult to mix, but unfortunately he's been proved to be right because the sheer numbers that have come into Britain have led to segregation." Asked whether he thought Mr Powell had been right, Mr Farage says: "He was right for the wrong reasons. He was wrong in the sense that he felt that black and white would find it difficult to mix, but unfortunately he's been proved to be right because the sheer numbers that have come into Britain have led to segregation."
BBC political editor Nick Robinson says all political parties now "promise to control" immigration because they are "acutely aware of the high level of public concern" about it.
In the programme, he look back to a civil service paper published in 2001 which examined the economic and the social impact of immigration.
The paper concluded that there was "little evidence that native workers are harmed by migration".
Its author, former Cabinet Office economist Jonathan Portes, said: "I think politicians do have to say to individuals who are negatively affected, and let's face it there will be some: 'Yes, we're doing this for the good of our country, and yes you may lose out, but ultimately we still have to do this.'
"Just as we said to the coal miners 30 years ago: 'Sorry we can get our coal a lot cheaper abroad. We can't afford to keep on propping you up.'"
The Truth About Immigration is to be broadcast on BBC Two at 21:30 GMT on Tuesday 7 January.The Truth About Immigration is to be broadcast on BBC Two at 21:30 GMT on Tuesday 7 January.