Ed Miliband makes immigration pledge - again
by Ken OlendeEd Miliband has made controlling immigration the second pledge of his general election campaign.
He made the announcement in a speech on Monday of this week in Great Yarmouth, where Ukip is on the rise.
Most of the questions from local people were on other issues—particularly the NHS and benefits.
Miliband’s pledge states, “We will control immigration with fair rules.
“People who come here won’t be able to claim benefits for at least two years and we will make it illegal for employers to undercut wages by exploiting workers.”
This implies that immigrants come to claim benefits.
Yet all statistics show that they don’t, and that better pay benefits all workers.
Reasons
But Labour has its own reasons for going along with scapegoating.
A leaked Labour Party document warns activists not to get in a “bidding war” with Ukip on the doorstep.
But it doesn’t tell them to say that migrants are not responsible for the problems they are worried about.
Labour needs a diversion as it plans to continue Tory cuts.
Miliband made his first election pledge last week.
He explained that if elected, he will continue “sensible reductions in public spending” throughout the next government.
Labour has attacked the Tories for not being “tough on the deficit”.
And shadow chancellor Ed Balls was more blunt about what this means.
He warned potential Labour ministers that they would face cuts in their departmental budgets every year after the election.