Parties clash over immigration

Ministers came under pressure in the Commons today over allegations that Labour opened Britain's borders in order to put pressure on the Conservative party. Skip related content

In Saturdays Daily Mail a former Labour adviser claimed the government had loosened immigration rules in part to allow the government to accuse the Conservative party of racism.

Andrew Neather had claimed that the government had pursed a deliberate policy of mass immigration in order to achieve the "driving political purpose" of multiculturalism.

Speaking during home office questions, shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said it would be "utterly disgraceful" if immigration policy were decided for the purposes of political posturing.

Grayling told the House: "We heard over the weekend some pretty controversial comments from a former adviser to this government about its immigration policy.

"Can I invite you to put the record straight - what was the motivation behind the very rapid increase in immigration under this government?"

Immigration minister Phil Woolas said he was not aware of the report Grayling was referring to.

And he said it had been the 1961 Immigration Act which had brought "significant increases" in immigration.

"The most significant milestone in the history of migration policy since the Second World War in my view was the abolition of border controls in 1994," he added.