Blair accuses Tories of exploiting immigration
Prime Minister Tony Blair has issued a strongly worded attack on the Conservatives’ immigration policies, accusing them of moving from “a one nation to a one issue party.”
The Conservatives have been campaigning strongly on the issue of asylum, which the polls show they have a lead over Labour on.
Leader Michael Howard has said that the asylum system was in chaos and promised to slash the number of immigrants and asylum seekers as well as withdrawing from the UN Convention on Refugees.
Hitting back in his first speech of the election campaign on immigration, Mr Blair said that concerns about immigration and asylum should never become a “political weapon”.
Mr Blair said Britain’s diversity was its strength and attacked the Conservatives’ poster that read “it isn’t racist to talk about immigration”, saying that no politician thinks talking about immigration is racist.
He warned that the tactic was dangerous as it risked giving the public the impression that politicians would dismiss them for being racist if they had genuine concerns.
Claiming that the Conservative immigration plans were an “incoherent babble”, Mr Blair said the Tories had not produced figures for their proposed quota and had failed to say where the “fantasy island” which would process Britain’s applications was, quipping that he would like its telephone number.
The vaunted Conservative promise of 24-hour security in ports had also fallen down when they realised that there were 650 ports and airports and they could not afford cover a fraction of them, he added.
Labour, he said, believed in being tough on abuse but at the same time welcoming those fleeing persecution or making a genuine contribution to Britain.
He outlined Labour’s efforts on immigration, including introducing fines for lorry drivers found to be bringing in asylum seekers, creating a new offence of entering the UK without papers, creating a single tier appeal system, and weeding out many “cowboy immigration advisors.”
He added that the Conservatives voted against fines for lorry drivers bringing asylum seekers in, and against rules to block claims from people convicted of crimes worthy of two year sentences. He also blamed the Conservatives for blocking ID cards.
Labour, he said, would recruit 600 more staff to focus on deportation and enforcement, would introduce ID cards and a points system to evaluate those wishing to come to the UK to work.
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis though accused Mr Blair of being “rattled” and “all talk” on immigration.
Mr Davis said: “A rattled Mr Blair hopes that one speech, 13 days before a general election, on an issue he’s ignored for eight years, will make people suddenly trust him.
“We’ve heard it all before. He’s spent years pussyfooting around this issue, during which time our asylum and immigration system has become chaotic and out of control.”
