Cable: PM ‘unwise’ over immigration

Rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen. 10.14am: The BBC has now posted a full story about Vince Cable’s comments on David Cameron’s speech. Cable told Laura Kuenssberg that Cameron’s choice of language was “very unwise”. I’ve already posted most of the quotes (see 10.03am) but here’s one more direct quote from Cable. The reference to the tens of thousands of immigrants rather than hundreds of thousands is not part of the coalition agreement, it is Tory party policy only. 10.03am: Here are some more quotes from Vince Cable’s interview with the BBC. Commenting on David Cameron’s speech, he said: I do understand there is an election coming but talk of mass immigration risks inflaming extremism to which he and I are both strongly opposed …. Much of the remaining immigration from outside the EU is crucial to British recovery and growth. That is why the cabinet collectively agreed to support British business and British universities by exempting overseas students and essential staff from the cap on non EU immigration. Cable also said that Cameron was making “very unwise comments”. 9.59am: Vince Cable also said that Cameron’s speech “risked inflaming extremism”, the BBC reports. 9.49am: Vince Cable has described Cameron’s speech as “very unwise”, the BBC reports. He has also said that getting net immigration down to tens of thousands a year, instead of letting it remain in the hundreds of thousands, is Tory policy and not coalition policy. This sounds like one of the most serious public Lib Dem/Conservative rifts we’ve seen from within the cabinet since the election. I’ll post the full quotes as soon as I get them. 9.32am: Keith Vaz, the Labour chairman of the home affairs committee, has also been commenting on David Cameron’s speech. He said the prime minister was wrong to say that immigration caused “discomfort and disjointedness” in some communities. According to PoliticsHome , this is what Vaz told Radio 5 Live. I think that those who have come to this country, those first generation immigrants do want to integrate and, if you look at the major towns and cities in this country, there is a desire for people to be involved. I think we’ve got a better record of toleration and integration than any country in Europe … The large number of eastern Europeans that came to Britain since the enlargement of the EU have actually integrated quite well, I think. 9.09am: Here’s some of the reaction we’ve already had to Cameron’s immigration speech. I’ve taken the quotes from the Press Association and PoliticsHome. From Tom Brake, co-chair of the Lib Dem backbench committee on home affairs, justice and equalities I am certainly not worried about the prime minister talking about [immigration]. I’m certainly not worried about the Liberal Democrats talking about it. It is an issue people are worried about but at the same time we have a responsibility to ensure that people understand the benefits … I don’t think [Cameron is proposing BNP policies]. I think the Government and the Liberal Democrats recognise the benefits of immigration to the UK economy but we are realistic that there is abuse of the system going on and that is why the Liberal Democrats supported, before the election, the setting up of a UK Border force to ensure that our borders are more secure. From Nigel Farage, Ukip’s leader Sadly there isn’t much [Cameron] can do about it because the elephant in the room is the European Union and we have a total open border with all of them. We cannot have our own immigration policy and be part of the European Union. From Simon Darby, a BNP spokesman It’s cynical opportunism, isn’t it? It’s almost like a ceremonial adoption of our policy about two weeks before any major vote. In other words, [Cameron] knows what ordinary British people are thinking. He completely ignores that until two weeks before a major poll and then all of a sudden starts pressing a few buttons to try and make people believe he’s actually doing something about immigration. It’s a farce, it’s a con, and if we had copyright on our manifesto we’d have our lawyers round his office within hours. From Sir Andrew Green, chair of MigrationWatch [The speech is] music in my ears and it’s music I think in the ears of most people in this country … I think the importance of this speech is that [Cameron has] again nailed his colours to the mast – he has said he understands what the public feel; he’s going to have a serious shot at dealing with it. 8.38am: David Cameron is delivering two speeches today. There will be one about local elections and the alternative vote referendum at some point mid-afternoon. But, before that, he will make a speech about immigration. The text has already been released – you can read it here on our website – and Nicholas Watt has written it up for the paper. Here’s an extract from his story. David Cameron will warn that immigrants unable to speak English or unwilling to integrate have created a “kind of discomfort and disjointedness” which has disrupted communities across Britain. In his most outspoken speech on immigration since becoming prime minister, Cameron will blame Labour for allowing immigration to become “too high” and for adopting an approach that allowed the British National party to flourish … Cameron will say this has placed serious pressure on schools, housing and the NHS, and has also created social pressures. “Real communities are bound by common experiences forged by friendship and conversation, knitted together by all the rituals of the neighbourhood, from the school run to the chat down the pub. And these bonds can take time,” he will say. “So real integration takes time. That’s why, when there have been significant numbers of new people arriving in neighbourhoods, perhaps not able to speak the same language as those living there, on occasions not really wanting or even willing to integrate, that has created a kind of discomfort and disjointedness in some neighbourhoods. This has been the experience for many people in our country – and I believe it is untruthful and unfair not to speak about it and address it.” Otherwise, it’s relatively quiet. William Hague is discussing Libya at a Nato meeting, and Paul Burstow, the health minister, is speaking to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services. But reaction to the Cameron speech should keep us busy. I’ll also take a look at the papers – I didn’t have time yesterday, but I don’t think we missed much – and I’ll bring you the best politics from the web. As usual, I’ll post a lunchtime summary at around 1pm and an afternoon one at about 4pm. David Cameron Immigration and asylum Electoral reform Local elections 2011 Conservatives Andrew Sparrow guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 14, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.