BYERS WARNS GOVERNMENT NOT TO BE DISTRACTED OR DIVERTED FROM MAJOR POLICY ISSUES LIKE ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION BY PRESSURES OF THE MOMENT

Speaking to the Social Market Foundation on Wednesday 30 July on the issue of asylum, immigration and national identity the former Cabinet Minister Stephen Byers will say –

“for this Labour government – which at the end of the week will have held office for longer than any other – it is vital not to lose sight of the issues that really matter to the British people.

It must not allow pressures of the moment to distract or divert it from giving full attention to the three policy areas that will count at the time of the next election – the economy; the quality of public services especially education and health; and safety in our homes and streets with security at our national borders.

On all of these the government needs to be active. It needs to claim credit for what it has achieved but must also be able to demonstrate that new thinking and renewal is taking place”.

On asylum, immigration and national identity Stephen Byers will say –

“the actions taken by David Blunkett – often under criticism from both the left and right – provide us with the space to discuss asylum and immigration without feeling that we are doing so in the face of a storm.

There is no doubt in my mind that immigration and asylum is one of the most important issues facing our country.

Yet over the years the political centre-left has steered clear of the debate leaving the ground to be occupied by the right.

The reluctance to enter the debate is understandable. The issues are delicate and difficult. They go to the heart of national identity and that of culture and heritage. Just raising questions can leave a person open to accusations of racism.

But I have concluded that it is not racist to address the legitimate concerns that people have, on the contrary it would be irresponsible not to do so”.

In his speech Stephen Byers continues –

“for the Labour Party consideration of asylum and immigration policy is never going to be easy. On the one hand we have the left's traditional support for those escaping from persecution. A desire to see the end of discrimination and a wish to see people treated fairly and with dignity.

On the other hand it is clearly the case that many of Labour's traditional supporters are those that fear immigration the most. They are concerned that their schools and health services are under increased pressure; they feel that their national identity is under threat and that they are having to pay for people who are simply exploiting the system.

We mustn't fall into the trap of saying that these are worries which have been created by the right and if ignored will go away. That was the mistake made by a number of political parties on the left elsewhere in Europe who went on to pay a heavy political price at the ballot box.

This does not mean giving in to right-wing populism but addressing the concerns that people have. It will entail tackling and exposing the myths and untruths about asylum and immigration whilst at the same time ensuring we have a system in place which is fair and efficient.

There will be some who would rather avoid this issue. Within the Labour Party it would be the soft and easy option to say this is not a priority and that by raising it we are playing into the hands of the racists and the right-wing.

But we cannot pretend to people that there isn't an issue, when for many there clearly is. To deny the concerns of people would give the appearance of being out of touch – or even worse simply not caring.

So in order to show that we are aware of the worries that people have, we need to say openly exactly what we want from our immigration policy and then construct a programme and set of procedures that will deliver the objectives set”.