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Benefit changes will make UK 'less attractive', Hammond says | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has claimed that removing "incentives" is the best way of reducing immigration. | |
He told the BBC that proposals set out by the prime minister to limit migrants' access to benefits will discourage them from coming to Britain. | |
The foreign secretary rejected claims that David Cameron's plans are not workable. | |
Meanwhile, a former vice-president of the European Parliament has said Poland would veto any such changes. | |
Migrants would have to wait four years for certain benefits and face being removed from the country if they have not found work after six months, under Mr Cameron's programme. | |
He urged other EU leaders to support what he called the "reasonable" measures, and said lower EU migration would be a priority in future negotiations over the UK's membership. | He urged other EU leaders to support what he called the "reasonable" measures, and said lower EU migration would be a priority in future negotiations over the UK's membership. |
Brussels has described his ideas as "part of the debate" to be "calmly considered". | |
'Blackmail' | |
Marek Siwiec, a former vice-president of the European Parliament who is also an ex-MEP for Poland, said Warsaw warned against attempting to "blackmail" other EU member states by alluding to the possibility of leaving the European Union. | |
He said that if member states were asked today to agree treaty changes allowing the UK to curb migrants' benefits, Poland would exercise a veto "because we cannot agree such unilateral ideas and proposals presented by British prime minister". | |
Mr Hammond insisted that some of the limits suggested by David Cameron "can be done within existing frameworks" without the need for the approval of other EU countries. | |
"What we've set out is a set of measures that will make Britain a significantly less attractive destination for job-seeking Europeans," he said. | |
Q and A: What benefits can EU migrants get? | |
David Cameron's speech - the main proposals | |
"Financial incentives drive people, they look at how much better off they're going to be and the overall package on offer in the UK... is a very, very attractive package." | |
Mr Siwiec denied that benefits played a significant role in the decision-making process of Polish people who emigrate to the UK. | |
They are not "not looking for extraordinary benefits, they are paying taxes, looking for equal treatment", he said. | |
He added that the prime minister's language would make Poles "feel uncomfortable in the country where they are working hard". | |
Cricket test | |
In separate comments, former Conservative Party chairman Lord Tebbit suggested a new version of his famous "cricket test", to decide which immigrants are welcome in the UK. | |
In 1990 Lord Tebbit proposed a "cricket test", suggesting immigrants who did not support the England cricket team had not integrated into society. | |
Lord Tebbit also expressed the view that the prime minister would find it difficult to get his way. | |
"I don't think what David Cameron said today is going to solve our problems because he has to get the agreement of the other 27 heads of government," he argued. | |
He said he did not believe the UK would get net immigration down to the 100,000 mark, adding: "We're simply going the wrong way." | He said he did not believe the UK would get net immigration down to the 100,000 mark, adding: "We're simply going the wrong way." |
"One test I would use is to ask them on which side their fathers or grandfathers or whatever fought in the Second World War," he went on. | "One test I would use is to ask them on which side their fathers or grandfathers or whatever fought in the Second World War," he went on. |
"And you'll find that the Poles and the Czechs and the Slovaks were all on the right side. And so that's a pretty good test isn't it. Perhaps we'll even manage to teach them to play cricket gradually over the years." | "And you'll find that the Poles and the Czechs and the Slovaks were all on the right side. And so that's a pretty good test isn't it. Perhaps we'll even manage to teach them to play cricket gradually over the years." |
Czech minister's tweet | Czech minister's tweet |
The prime minister also used part of his speech to highlighted Polish and Czech pilots who fought alongside the British in World War Two. | The prime minister also used part of his speech to highlighted Polish and Czech pilots who fought alongside the British in World War Two. |
"We will never forget the Polish and Czech pilots who helped save this country in its hour of need and the Poles who went on to settle here, help build post-war Britain and indeed contribute so much to our country today," he said. | "We will never forget the Polish and Czech pilots who helped save this country in its hour of need and the Poles who went on to settle here, help build post-war Britain and indeed contribute so much to our country today," he said. |
But Czech State Secretary for European Affairs Tomas Prouza later tweeted this picture of Czech fighter pilots with the message: "These Czechs 'worked' in the UK for less than four years. No benefits for them?" | But Czech State Secretary for European Affairs Tomas Prouza later tweeted this picture of Czech fighter pilots with the message: "These Czechs 'worked' in the UK for less than four years. No benefits for them?" |
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