Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has said that Britain should aim for net zero migration - it should allow up to 600,000 migrants a year as nearly that many people annually leave the country.
He said this after taking over as leader of the Reform party and announcing that he was standing for the general elections from Clacton, Essex.
He told BBC that skilled immigration would continue “in limited numbers” across a range of sectors, including care workers. He contrasted this with construction workers, where “we literally don’t need any” foreign workers.
The former Ukip and Brexit party leader pointed out that with 500,000 people leaving the UK every year there was “plenty of room” for overseas workers while bringing net migration towards zero.
Expressing concern over the current levels of migration, he said, “We cannot go on as we are, we have to limit numbers, our lives, our quality of life in this country is being diminished by the population explosion. If that means that in some sectors, there’d be shortages what that then means is that wages would go up and we’d start to encourage people to learn skills rather than heading off to university.”
Processing asylum seekers
Farage, however, tripped while spelling out his party’s plan to process asylum seekers.
The Reform party manifesto stated, “Asylum claims that arrive through safe countries will be processed rapidly offshore in British Overseas Territories. This will stop the scandal of undocumented asylum seekers absconding to work illegally or commit crimes.”
When pointed out that overseas territories include the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Farage admitted the idea was not 'terribly practical'.
When queried why it was on the party's website, he said, “Well I took over yesterday so give me more than 12 hours and I’ll sort a few things out.”
Decision to contest
Nigel Farage said he decided to stand for parliament out of a “terrible sense of guilt” that he was letting down his supporters.
He had earlier said he would sit out the election to concentrate on helping Donald Trump during his campaign in the US.
Farage said he changed his mind because he felt he was letting people down.
He told LBC that wherever he went people approached him and said they wanted him to contest the elections.
“I just got this terrible sense of guilt that I was letting them down and that I actually had to step up and do something”.
Farage's move is a major blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative party.
Addressing a news conference he said, "We are going to be the voice of opposition, and I tell you what, I have done it before, I'll do it again, I'll surprise everybody."
He said it was a fait accompli that Labour would win but that he wanted to position Reform as its main opponent.
Farage said he would lead a "political revolt" in Britain because "nothing in this country works anymore", citing problems with public services such as healthcare and roads.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event