Cable backs Barroso doubt on UK immigration plan

LIBERAL Democrat ministers in David Cameron’s government have backed the claim from outgoing European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso that plans for an “arbitrary” cap on the number of migrants coming to the UK from the rest of the EU would be illegal.
Vince Cable has backed comments by Jose Manuel Barroso casting doubts on David Cameron's plans on EU-UK immigration policy. Picture: Jane BarlowVince Cable has backed comments by Jose Manuel Barroso casting doubts on David Cameron's plans on EU-UK immigration policy. Picture: Jane Barlow
Vince Cable has backed comments by Jose Manuel Barroso casting doubts on David Cameron's plans on EU-UK immigration policy. Picture: Jane Barlow

Business Secretary Vince Cable said he agreed with Mr Barroso that the UK would be making a historic mistake and warned that questions over Britain’s place in the EU would “seriously impede” economic recovery.

He said: “Yes, I do agree. It’s very much in British interests, and very much in the interests of the car industry, that we retain our position in Europe.

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“Many of the companies that are investing here are investing on the basis that they can export their products to the European single market.

“Any attempt to cast doubt over that will seriously impede our economic recovery.”

Liberal Democrat minister Mr Cable said that attempts to curb freedom of movement “almost certainly is illegal”.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg welcomed what he said amounted to the first public acceptance by the Commission that it was ready to introduce reforms to stop “abuse of freedom of movement” such as over benefit claims.

He said the Liberal Democrats were open to some change - such as closing a loophole that allowed 60,000 Romanians and Bulgarians to come to the UK as self-employed workers despite controls that were supposed to delay arrivals from the newest EU member states.

“That would be top of my list for negotiations,” he said.

Mr Clegg took a fresh swipe at his Conservative coalition partners, accusing Mr Cameron of being pushed inevitably towards UK exit in a “blind panic” under pressure from backbenchers over the threat from Ukip.

“Every day there is a new leak, a new unfunded tax cut, a new pledge to pull out of this, pull out of that. It is all thrashing around,” he said.

“The Tory Party is being pushed, day by day, week by week, by their right wing, because of their panic about Ukip, to the exit. That is where this all ends up.”