Deputy PM says Home Office should focus on policies such as reinstating exit checks rather than leaking 'undeliverable' ideas
Nick Clegg has criticised Theresa May for drawing up "illegal and undeliverable" proposals to impose a cap on the number of EU citizens who can come to work in the UK.
In some of his harshest criticisms of the home secretary, the deputy prime minister said many Tories were foolishly flirting with Britain's exit from the EU, a move that he said would undermine Britain's ability to shape events in Europe.
Speaking at his monthly press conference, Clegg said he understood the fears of many people that large numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians may seek to claim benefits when travel restrictions are lifted on 1 January.
But the deputy prime minister was highly critical after the Sunday Times reported that May was seeking to impose a cap on the number of EU citizens working in Britain. May's office is understood to have leaked the findings of the Home Office section of the government's EU balance of competences review to the newspaper.
Clegg said: "My advice to the Home Office is to spend less time leaking policies that are illegal and undeliverable and spend more time delivering on the policies that we have agreed as a coalition government, notably the reinstatement of exit checks. I remain very frustrated that the Home Office has still not delivered something which I personally insisted should be in the coalition agreement, which is a reinstatement of the checks which allow us to know not only who is coming into this country but who is leaving as well.
"Beyond that I would just state the obvious. If we pulled up the drawbridge now and said to German lawyers or Finnish engineers or Dutch accountants they can't come to work it would be a disaster for our economy. We are an open economy. The City of London would grind to a halt overnight. It would be very unwelcome to the two million Brits who work abroad."
But Clegg said it was right to restrict access to benefits. He said: "We should protect the freedom to move to look for work in the EU. But the freedom to look for work across the EU is not the same as the freedom to claim. That is why, with my enthusiastic support in this coalition government, we are instituting new restrictions on the ability of people who come from other EU countries to access benefits on the first day they arrive, no questions asked."
May refused to confirm the leaks, but said: "There is a growing concern about the abuse of free movement in the EU." She said it was an issue being raised not just in the UK. She pointed out that the law had originally allowed free movement only of workers, but partly because of court judgments this had been extended to EU citizens.
She was speaking amid fears of a large-scale Tory rebellion over the lifting of restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians coming to Britain on 1 January.
David Davis, the former shadow home secretary, has joined the revolt, calling for the government to tell the EU that the deadline for allowing Romanians and Bulgarians should be put back by a further two years. A vote in the Commons is due in the new year, but has been postponed by government whips.
May confined most of her remarks on the BBC Today programme to tighter rules on the free movement of new accession countries rather than existing member states.
The reported proposal reflects increasing tensions within the party over how to deal with the electorate's concerns about immigration. Rows between Tories over Europe are expected to escalate in the new year as MEPs, MPs and councillors seek ways of stopping the rise of the UK Independence party, which has gained popularity because of its hardline stance on EU immigration. Ukip is widely expected to gain seats in May's European and local elections.
The document drawn up by the Home Office and seen by the Sunday Times reportedly says unlimited immigration from the EU has damaged the job prospects of low-skilled Britons, encouraged benefit tourism, put pressure on public services and caused the "buildup of social tensions".
It suggests a range of measures to cut immigration, including a cap of 75,000 migrants a year and tougher employment criteria. Davis said on Sunday the review was "closing the stable door after the horse has bolted". Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 hours ago.
Nick Clegg has criticised Theresa May for drawing up "illegal and undeliverable" proposals to impose a cap on the number of EU citizens who can come to work in the UK.
In some of his harshest criticisms of the home secretary, the deputy prime minister said many Tories were foolishly flirting with Britain's exit from the EU, a move that he said would undermine Britain's ability to shape events in Europe.
Speaking at his monthly press conference, Clegg said he understood the fears of many people that large numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians may seek to claim benefits when travel restrictions are lifted on 1 January.
But the deputy prime minister was highly critical after the Sunday Times reported that May was seeking to impose a cap on the number of EU citizens working in Britain. May's office is understood to have leaked the findings of the Home Office section of the government's EU balance of competences review to the newspaper.
Clegg said: "My advice to the Home Office is to spend less time leaking policies that are illegal and undeliverable and spend more time delivering on the policies that we have agreed as a coalition government, notably the reinstatement of exit checks. I remain very frustrated that the Home Office has still not delivered something which I personally insisted should be in the coalition agreement, which is a reinstatement of the checks which allow us to know not only who is coming into this country but who is leaving as well.
"Beyond that I would just state the obvious. If we pulled up the drawbridge now and said to German lawyers or Finnish engineers or Dutch accountants they can't come to work it would be a disaster for our economy. We are an open economy. The City of London would grind to a halt overnight. It would be very unwelcome to the two million Brits who work abroad."
But Clegg said it was right to restrict access to benefits. He said: "We should protect the freedom to move to look for work in the EU. But the freedom to look for work across the EU is not the same as the freedom to claim. That is why, with my enthusiastic support in this coalition government, we are instituting new restrictions on the ability of people who come from other EU countries to access benefits on the first day they arrive, no questions asked."
May refused to confirm the leaks, but said: "There is a growing concern about the abuse of free movement in the EU." She said it was an issue being raised not just in the UK. She pointed out that the law had originally allowed free movement only of workers, but partly because of court judgments this had been extended to EU citizens.
She was speaking amid fears of a large-scale Tory rebellion over the lifting of restrictions on Romanians and Bulgarians coming to Britain on 1 January.
David Davis, the former shadow home secretary, has joined the revolt, calling for the government to tell the EU that the deadline for allowing Romanians and Bulgarians should be put back by a further two years. A vote in the Commons is due in the new year, but has been postponed by government whips.
May confined most of her remarks on the BBC Today programme to tighter rules on the free movement of new accession countries rather than existing member states.
The reported proposal reflects increasing tensions within the party over how to deal with the electorate's concerns about immigration. Rows between Tories over Europe are expected to escalate in the new year as MEPs, MPs and councillors seek ways of stopping the rise of the UK Independence party, which has gained popularity because of its hardline stance on EU immigration. Ukip is widely expected to gain seats in May's European and local elections.
The document drawn up by the Home Office and seen by the Sunday Times reportedly says unlimited immigration from the EU has damaged the job prospects of low-skilled Britons, encouraged benefit tourism, put pressure on public services and caused the "buildup of social tensions".
It suggests a range of measures to cut immigration, including a cap of 75,000 migrants a year and tougher employment criteria. Davis said on Sunday the review was "closing the stable door after the horse has bolted". Reported by guardian.co.uk 4 hours ago.