Tory activists call on David Cameron not to open borders...

[dutchman]

Conservative activists call on David Cameron to use powers to ensure that UK borders are not opened to Bulgarian and Romanian migrants on January 1.



David Cameron must tear up plans to open Britain’s borders to Romanian and Bulgarian migrants on January 1, Conservative activists have demanded.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, 90 activists and constituency chairmen said that ministers could still act to prevent transitional controls being lifted this week.

In the letter, the Conservative Grassroots organisation claims that the Government could use a clause in European Union law which allows countries to continue with border controls if their country is “undergoing or foresees serious labour market disturbances”.

The loophole, known as a “safeguard clause, was used by Spain in 2011 to reimpose controls on Romanians.

The Prime Minister has come under increasing pressure from his own party to take action, following concerns that full access to the UK labour market would prompt a "wave of mass immigration" from Wednesday.

In an open letter they urge Mr Cameron to use a safeguard clause in EU law which they believe could extend controls until 2018 because of “exceptional economic circumstances”.

James Joshua, director of Conservative Grassroots, said: "In just a couple of days Britain faces a wave of mass immigration from Bulgaria and Romania at the end of the seven-year moratorium put in place by the last Labour government.

"Some estimates have suggested that more than 300,000 Romanians and Bulgarians will travel to the UK. This will put huge pressure on public services at a time when the country is struggling under a mountain of debt with on-going acute challenges within the economy."

The UK imposed the seven-year restrictions on Romania and Bulgaria after they joined the EU in 2007 - only allowing citizens a visa if they were self-employed, had a job offer, or were given a specialist role.

Mr Joshua added that Conservative Grassroots "respectfully disagree" with the Government, which says it is powerless to extend the restrictions.

Nigel Mills, the backbench Tory MP, has an amendment to the Immigration Bill which would extend transitional arrangements on the two countries joining the European Union's freedom of movement rules by a further four years to 2018.

Conservative support behind the amendment has been building and now stands at more than 50 MPs.

Robert Woollard, chairman of Conservative Grassroots, said: "I only hope that the Prime Minister stops running scared of this amendment and gives his own back benchers an opportunity to vote on it."

The Government has said it will be "business as usual" on January 1 at the UK border and it remains unclear if additional staff or measures are being put in place at airports and ferry ports in the event significant numbers arrive.

[rebbonk]

Don't expect the fool from No.10 to listen.

[dutchman]

Chris Grayling accuses Lib Dems of blocking tougher immigration controls



A senior Conservative has accused the Liberal Democrats of blocking tougher controls on Bulgarian and Romanian workers, sparking a coalition row just 24 hours before Britain's borders are opened to immigrants from the two newest EU countries.

Chris Grayling, the justice secretary, spoke out after 90 Tory activists wrote to the prime minister urging him to apply emergency powers before controls on immigration from the eastern European countries end on New Year's Day.

In a letter to David Cameron, the Tory grassroots campaigners said the government has the ability to stop a potential influx of immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania, because EU law allows a country to extend controls if it is "undergoing or foresees serious labour market disturbances".

But when asked about the powers, Grayling signalled that the Liberal Democrats had stopped the Conservatives bringing in stricter rules and "sorting out" the issue before the deadline. His comments were immediately rubbished by Lib Dem sources, who said the Tories had never even suggested trying to further restrict immigration from Bulgaria and Romania because it would be illegal under EU law.

Downing Street fears that the public will react badly if there is an influx of immigrants from the two countries when restrictions endon 1 January. From this date, citizens from the two newest EU member states will be allowed to travel to the UK to look for work and claim limited benefits. Previously, they have had to apply for permits, and low-skilled workers were restricted by quotas.

In the runup to the deadline, Labour has accused the coalition of failing to do enough to address concerns and Ukip has been predicting an influx of immigrants in the hundreds of thousands.

But Grayling suggested on Monday that the Tories have had their hands tied on the issue by the Lib Dems. "The reality is that we're not a majority party in the House of Commons," he told Radio 4's Today programme. "The Conservative party would not be able to get through the Commons some of the things we might like to do in changing our relationship with the EU.

"David Cameron has said very clearly he'd like to see tougher rules in future, and we've always said we would have implemented tougher rules in the past, but we don't have a majority. We've always said if people want us really to sort out our relationship with the EU to deal with issues causing massive concern to people, then they are going to have to have a majority Conservative government after the next election, because Labour and the Lib Dems are happy as things are."