An attempt to limit the availability of housing to refugees and asylum seekers has been openly advocated by a senior municipal councillor in south-east London. The remarks, challenged at the time by people within the Labour party, have echoed in Parliament and the media.

In another attempt to reposition the Labour government further to the Right, the prime minister unveiled plans at the TUC Congress to crack down on immigration and reduce the number of people entering Britain from outside the EU by at least 35,000 per year.

Under the ‘British first’ policy, Gordon Brown is offering incentives and local employment partnerships to train and employ inactive or unemployed people. He wants to create 500,000 jobs — a job for every British worker. The controversial initiative is targeted towards limiting the number of non-English speaking migrants from outside the EU. It would be illegal to restrict movement of labour within the EU itself.

Under the government’s new ‘points system’, there are three main categories of immigrants coming to Britain from outside the EU to work: highly skilled, skilled and low skilled. The first two categories can settle permanently in Britain after five years and the third cannot.

In an unprecedented retrospective move, the home secretary is expected to announce that following the condition of entry applied to highly skilled migrants — to pass an examination in English — this will now be extended to all skilled migrants. Out of the 96,000 who entered Britain as skilled migrants about 35,000 are expected to fail.

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