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William Hague and Kenneth Clarke clash over EU immigration William Hague and Kenneth Clarke clash over EU immigration
(35 minutes later)
William Hague and Kenneth Clarke, who contested the Tory leadership in 1997, have clashed on Europe after the former chancellor dismissed claims that the EU is to blame for unacceptable levels of immigration.William Hague and Kenneth Clarke, who contested the Tory leadership in 1997, have clashed on Europe after the former chancellor dismissed claims that the EU is to blame for unacceptable levels of immigration.
In a direct challenge to David Cameron, who criticised the last Labour government for failing to impose work restrictions on Poland and seven other east European countries when they joined the EU in 2004, Clarke said migrants had made a positive contribution to society.In a direct challenge to David Cameron, who criticised the last Labour government for failing to impose work restrictions on Poland and seven other east European countries when they joined the EU in 2004, Clarke said migrants had made a positive contribution to society.
Clarke, who sits in the cabinet as the prime minister's trade envoy, told the FT: "I just don't think it's true that the European Union is responsible for unacceptable waves of migration."Clarke, who sits in the cabinet as the prime minister's trade envoy, told the FT: "I just don't think it's true that the European Union is responsible for unacceptable waves of migration."
The former chancellor said a market economy could not function without free movement of labour and the government should not go beyond clamping down on the abuse of benefits. He told the FT: "The idea that you can have some fundamental debate that somehow stops all these foreigners coming here is rather typical rightwing, nationalist escapism, I think." The former chancellor said a market economy could not function without free movement of labour and the government should not go beyond clamping down on the abuse of benefits.
The foreign secretary made clear that he disagreed with Clarke's remarks. Hague told the Today programme on Radio 4: "People will have many different views about that. There has been large-scale migration. Transitional controls were lifted at an early stage, were not imposed on many of the eastern European countries when they joined the EU. Many of us would think that had been a mistake, we should have had those transitional controls." He told the FT: "The idea that you can have some fundamental debate that somehow stops all these foreigners coming here is rather typical rightwing, nationalist escapism, I think."
The foreign secretary made clear that he disagreed with Clarke's remarks. Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "People will have many different views about that. There has been large-scale migration. Transitional controls were lifted at an early stage, were not imposed on many of the eastern European countries when they joined the EU. Many of us would think that had been a mistake, we should have had those transitional controls."
Hague showed some common ground with Clarke by saying the government would focus its work in the immediate future on restricting access to benefits. He said: "There has been a huge amount of migration within the EU. We have accepted a great deal of migration in the EU. People should be able to move in the EU for work; they should not be moving in the EU in order to take advantage of benefit systems."Hague showed some common ground with Clarke by saying the government would focus its work in the immediate future on restricting access to benefits. He said: "There has been a huge amount of migration within the EU. We have accepted a great deal of migration in the EU. People should be able to move in the EU for work; they should not be moving in the EU in order to take advantage of benefit systems."
In his Today programme interview Hague also reiterated his opposition to a call by 95 Tory MPs for the British parliament to be given a veto over EU laws. He said: "What you can't have in any system that relies on some common rules – even in a free trade area – is each of the parliaments being able regularly and unilaterally to say we are not applying this or that just by our own decision. Clearly a single market or a free trade area would not work on that basis. Even the Swiss or Norwegian arrangements with the EU could not work on that basis. In his Today programme interview, Hague also reiterated his opposition to a call by 95 Tory MPs for the British parliament to be given a veto over EU laws. He said: "What you can't have in any system that relies on some common rules – even in a free trade area – is each of the parliaments being able regularly and unilaterally to say we are not applying this or that just by our own decision. Clearly a single market or a free trade area would not work on that basis. Even the Swiss or Norwegian arrangements with the EU could not work on that basis.
"So we have to be careful what we support. But the direction of greater power for national parliaments and reducing, relatively speaking, the powers of the EU vis-a-vis national parliaments is something I very strongly support.""So we have to be careful what we support. But the direction of greater power for national parliaments and reducing, relatively speaking, the powers of the EU vis-a-vis national parliaments is something I very strongly support."
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