Abbott calls migrant targets 'foolish' as she reveals Labour's SHOCKING post-Brexit policy
THE shadow home secretary labelled immigration targets "foolish" during a car-crash BBC interview.
Diane Abbott announces vague Labour immigration policy
Diane Abbott branded the policy of setting migration targets as "foolish" in an astonishing attack on the "shameful" border controls.
Ms Abbott said Labour would "bare down" on migration but she refused to answer whether the record levels of net migration released this week were too high or not.
The annual statistics this week saw 660,000 immigrants enter the country - a net arrival of 335,000 in just 12 months.
Diane Abbott branded setting migration targets
During her interview on Sunday Politics, the shadow home secretary even appeared to suggest that Labour did not need a migration policy as long as Britain remained part of the EU.
She then said Britain should maintain access to the European markets, which in her mind forces Britain to have freedom of movement and negates any reason for an EU border policy.
The BBC appearance was even more cringe-worthy when pressed by Andrew Neil on what Labour will do once Britain eventually leaves the EU and regains control of its borders.
She simply retorted: "It is shameful to play a game with anti-immigrant rhetoric.
"We cannot veer towards the direction of Ukip."
The BBC appearance was even more cringe-worthy when pressed by Andrew Neil
Abbott's comments appeared to contradict senior figures in the Labour Party
Targets don’t make a difference
The left-wing MP dismissed Mr Neil when he explained that Canada and 29 other countries have deals with access to Europe without freedom of movement.
She said: "That is not possible. The EU would never give us that."
Ms Abbott then bizarrely blamed geography on why Britain has to allow free movement.
The North London MP added: "Any politician who thinks you can set immigration targets has a fool for an economic advisor."
She pointed to a skills gap among Britons and the predatory employers which undercut British workers as the major sources of migration.
But, Mr Neil hit back and said Ms Abbott had "no idea how much your plan would work".
He continued: "It is hard to see how much, if much at all, your plan would reduce migration numbers."
She reiterated that "targets don't make a difference"
Diane Abbott REFUSES to take tougher immigration stance
Her comments appeared to contradict senior figures in the Labour Party, including Emily Thornberry, Kier Starmer and even Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman.
This prompted the BBC host to ask: "Well, which one is Labour policy? Do you even have one?"
During the embarrassing interview, Mr Neil showed a clip from earlier this year in which the MP called debates that wanted to end freedom of movement as "anti-immigrant racism".