Keith Vaz calls for talk on immigration

Leaders should hold cross- party talks on immigration to avoid a dangerous “arms race” towards tougher policies, the chairman of the Commons home affairs committee said.

Keith Vaz said it was vital to find consensus to avoid “fringe parties” filling a vacuum amid fears over the impact of arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania next year.

He called on the government to carry out in-depth research into the likely impact of the end of restrictions on arrivals from the newest European Union member states.

“Messrs Cameron, Clegg and Miliband should now sit down together and talk about this issue,” he said.