Labour donor: Corbyn doesn't want migration controls in his heart but is using his head
A MAJOR Labour donor today claimed Jeremy Corbyn might not support immigration controls “in his heart” - but welcomed the left-winger's use of his head on the issue.
Millionaire businessman John Mills, who helps bankroll Labour, claimed it is clear the party’s leadership “now recognises” voters’ demands for restrictions on EU immigration.
Yesterday, Mr Corbyn used a major speech on Brexit to insist Labour is “not wedded” to maintaining the EU’s freedom of movement rules once the UK cuts ties with Brussels - despite adding he would not rule out keeping free movement at the end of Article 50 divorce talks.
The announcement appeared to mark a significant shift in the Labour leader’s position, with Mr Corbyn and his key allies having previously launched a staunch defence of unrestricted EU immigration.
Mr Mills, who backed the Labour Leave campaign during the EU referendum, insisted Mr Corbyn’s speech will be “welcomed by large numbers of people in the Labour Party, not least many of its MPs”.
In a comment piece for Express.co.uk, published in full below, Mr Mills outlines Labour’s challenge in winning back voters with an immigration policy in line with public feeling.
Jeremy Corbyn dodges question over immigration control
It is clear that the Labour leadership now recognises the strength of feeling in the country
EU leaders have consistently warned remaining part of the bloc’s Single Market will require Britain to retain free movement rules.
Mr Corbyn’s speech yesterday was part of a New Year re-launch aimed at pitching the Labour leader as a Donald Trump-style populist.
He said: “Labour supports fair rules and the reasonable management of migration as part of the post-Brexit relationship with the EU, while putting jobs and living standards first in the negotiations.”
Jeremy Corbyn must be pragmatic on immigration
By John Mills
Jeremy Corbyn’s speech in Peterborough yesterday showed a welcome change of approach on immigration. Despite some rather different messages in radio programmes, showing that in his heart he would probably prefer not to have any EU immigration restrictions, it is clear that the Labour leadership now recognises the strength of feeling in the country, which was very clearly expressed in the June 2016 EU referendum. Labour certainly does not want to pull up the drawbridge completely on people coming to settle in the UK but recognises that there are limits to how much immigration there can be.
All the polls show that there is little or no opposition to those with high levels of skills coming to the UK. The problem is with relatively unskilled labour with low earning expectations. These people pay less into the tax system than they cost in benefits. They add to the strain on all our services – hospitals, schools, housing and transport – while competing with UK workers especially in the less skilled parts of the job market. The vast majority of people who voted Leave in June 2016 wanted a solution to these problems, not a blanket curb on immigration.
The problem is that the rules of the Single Market make freedom of movement within the EU a basic right. UK restrictions are therefore unlikely to be compatible with continuing full UK membership of the Single Market. Labour seems to be recognising this too, with Jeremy Corbyn’s emphasis in his speech on UK “access” to the ~Single Market rather than “membership” of it.
Most countries which trade heavily with the EU – China and the USA are prime examples – are not members of the Single Market but this does not stop them having access to it – and over tariffs which we would not have to pay if we had a Free Trade deal with the EU, which seems very likely to materialise. This would give us the best of both worlds: some reasonable restrictions on immigration combined with our trade with the EU continuing much as it does now.
Jeremy Corbyn’s speech outlining his policy on immigration will certainly be welcomed by large numbers of people in the Labour Party, not least many of its MPs. Seventy per cent of the constituencies with Labour MPs voted Leave – and about 90 per cent of them in London and a couple of other metropolitan areas are excluded. Labour very badly needs to recover the trust and support of the 3.5million people who voted Labour in the 2015 general election but for Leave in 2016. This will never happen if nothing is done to reform UK immigration policy along the lines which a large majority of the UK population now want to see achieved.
The UK will very probably have to decide not to stay in the Single Market if the EU insists on the price for us to pay for doing this is to keep more or less unrestricted EU immigration in place, but this is a price – and not a very high one - which most people seem prepared to pay. It is a really welcome development that opinion in the Labour Party generally seems to have moved a long way towards accepting that this is the way ahead.