Home Secretary calls for Immigration debate

The failure of the Labour government to engage effectively on the immigration issue has allowed opponents such as the BNP to grow in strength according to Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

Consequently, Johnson is undertaking a new promotional drive to convince the British public that immigration is a benefit for the UK as his party makes early moves in the election run-up. Labour will seek to use the right-wing sentiment over immigration by the Conservative and BNP parties to its advantage, with Johnson saying that the lack of proper debating has allowed extreme views to become more commonplace.

Johnson agreed with public feeling that Labour has ignored a debate but countered that this is exactly what they would get. Johnson has admitted that successive Labour governments had erred in immigration policy, labelling the incumbent’s approach as maladroit, but that his party would completely transform their handling of the issue of asylum seekers and immigration. Labour, Johnson says, has learnt from its mistakes.

The latest move continues the anti-BNP approach which was bolstered by the BBC Question Time programme which turned on BNP leader Nick Griffin. The Home Secretary said he felt the lack of debate had offered opponents a chance to distort the issue. Johnson’s Labour party did not attend the televised talks and despite saying he would debate immigration with BNP at any time Johnson has so far refused to appear alongside the controversial Griffin. The Home Secretary says he will not share a platform with a fascist.