How Labour 'encouraged immigration'

THE full extent of Labour’s determination to encourage mass immigration for its political benefit was exposed yesterday.

There are fresh concerns that Labour has manipulated border controls to gain more voters There are fresh concerns that Labour has manipulated border controls to gain more voters

A paper prepared for Tony Blair and senior ministers argued that an influx of newcomers would help to further the Government’s “social objectives”.

Last night the news ignited fresh concerns that Labour has deliberately manipulated border controls to gain more voters.

Sir Andrew Green of the think-tank Migrationwatch said: “Labour had a political agenda which they sought to conceal for initiating mass immigration. Why else would they be so anxious to remove any mention of social aspects unless they feared they would reveal their true motives?"

“Only now that their working class supporters are deserting them have they started to talk about restricting immigration.”

Critics believe the votes of more than a million immigrants coming from Commonweath countries since 1997 could play a big role in this year’s General Election.

Details of Labour’s covert aims were revealed in the original draft of a memo prepared by Home Office officials and the Prime Minister’s policy unit in 2000 in the run-up to the decision to relax border controls as the European Union expanded.

Last autumn, former Labour adviser and speechwriter Andrew Neather admitted the document was part of a “driving political purpose” to spread multi- culturalism in Britain. Ministers stressed the economic benefits, claiming only about13,000 immigrants a year would come to Britain, while the document made clear the policy was to tempt huge numbers.

Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green said: “This would mean Labour’s biggest long-term effect on British society was based on a secret policy. It shows their open-door policy was deliberate.”

A survey by pollsters MORI showed 80 per cent of Caribbean and African voters backing Labour in 2005, with 2-3 per cent for the Tories and 5-11 per cent the Liberal Democrats. Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis respectively voted 56, 50 and 41 per cent for Labour. No more than 11 per cent of each group supported the Tories.

Last night, Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: “Changes introduced in the 1997-2001 Parliament toughened immigration rules. There is no evidence to back the idea of an open-door policy.”

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