Labour last Thursday called for a crackdown on some benefit payments to European migrants living in Britain to make the system fairer.
If someone moves from Newcastle to London for work and leaves their children behind, they cannot claim child tax credit
Yvette Cooper acknowledged fears about the impact of Bulgarian and Romanian migration when restrictions are lifted next year but insisted vital changes to ease potential problems could be made before January.
The Shadow Home Secretary called for “sensible action” on welfare and public services, including a presence test that would prevent migrants from immediately making jobs benefits claims.
But in a major speech on immigration in central London – which comes after Ed Miliband’s admission in a party political broadcast last night that Labour got it wrong on immigration when they were in power – Ms Cooper insisted Britain must not “pull up the drawbridge”.
“Most people who come to Britain from Europe work hard and contribute more in taxes than they use in public services or claim in benefits,” she said.
“But the system needs to be seen to be fair. Giving people the right to work in other countries is not about people travelling and getting support from other countries if they don’t plan to contribute.
“So the Government is right to look at this area. But so far they have come up with no specific practical proposals and are engaged in a frenzy of briefing and rhetoric instead.”
Ms Cooper said a presence test would help “clarify” that “people will be expected to be in the country for some time or to contribute before they get something back”.
She called for discussions with Europe to reform a long-standing regulation that means family benefits must be paid even if parents and children live in different countries.
“This causes significant unfairness,” she said.
“If someone moves from Newcastle to London for work and leaves their children behind, they cannot claim child tax credit. But if someone moves to London, leaving their children in Paris or Prague instead, they can claim child tax credit and send it home. That’s not fair.”
Ms Cooper pledged that Labour would ensure maximum transitional controls for any future countries joining the EU. She also called for tighter enforcement of labour market rules to avoid exploitation and prevent undercutting and suggested more must be done to make companies that recruit low skilled workers from abroad do more to train local staff.
During the speech at the IPPR think-tank, Ms Cooper also called for an end to student visitor visa loopholes that are allowing tens of thousands of people to enter the country without being monitored once they arrive. She warned genuine international students are being blocked from studying in the United Kingdom while the short-term visas are being increasingly abused.
Labour is attempting to reposition itself on immigration and Ms Cooper continued her leader’s mea culpa on Thursday, conceding the party should have been “ready to talk about problems”, but adding that it now knows “that needs to change”.
She acknowledged that the impact of immigration must be properly managed so it is “fair for all” and backed government attempts to require stronger language requirements on people moving to Britain but insisted the party was not shifting to the right.
“We will support the Government where it introduces sensible policies and we will point out where they are getting things wrong. But we won’t enter an arms race of rhetoric on immigration – and we hope the Prime Minister won’t either.”
Ms Cooper claimed Tory promises to reduce net migration to tens of thousands by the election is “not what it seems”, insisting it was fuelled mainly by a drop in Brits returning to the UK and a 38,000 reduction in international student numbers.