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Lord Tebbit suggests new EU migrant 'test' Benefit changes will make UK 'less attractive', Hammond says
(about 7 hours later)
Lord Tebbit has suggested a new version of his famous "cricket test", to decide which immigrants are welcome in the UK. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has claimed that removing "incentives" is the best way of reducing immigration.
The former Tory party chairman told BBC Newsnight that EU migrants could be asked who their fathers or grandfathers fought for in World War Two. 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.
In 1990 Lord Tebbit proposed a "cricket test", suggesting immigrants who did not support the England cricket team had not integrated into society. The foreign secretary rejected claims that David Cameron's plans are not workable.
His new remarks came after the PM made a long-awaited speech on immigration. 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 month, under David Cameron's proposals. 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.
'Going the wrong way' Brussels has described his ideas as "part of the debate" to be "calmly considered".
Lord Tebbit, 83, said of the speech: "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 in order to put most of things which he proposed into action." '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."
In 1990, Lord Tebbit suggested in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that Britons of South Asian origin should be asked which cricket team they supported.
If they did not follow England and were fans of India or Pakistan, he felt that it showed that they had failed to integrate into British society.
In his speech, Mr Cameron's main proposals - which are dependent on him remaining in power after May's general election - were:
Brussels said the ideas were "part of the debate" to be "calmly considered".
Czech minister's tweetCzech 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?"