Welsh Political News

Mr Clegg will argue for tougher border controls

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg is to call for a "selective" amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Under the plan - to be debated at the party’s conference - people who have been in the UK for 10 years will be given the right to earn citizenship.

They would have to pass language tests, demonstrate a long-term commitment to the UK and have no criminal record.

Mr Clegg also wants a new border security force to prevent people entering the country illegally.

The government has said it does not know how many illegal immigrants are in the UK.

Pressure group Migration Watch puts the figure at between 515,000 and 870,000.

But ministers have repeatedly rejected calls for an amnesty, arguing it would send out the wrong signal and act as magnet for migrants from poorer countries.

Controversy

Mr Clegg is expected to argue that the massive increase in global migration has created a new "underclass" of illegal workers without employment rights or access to public services.

But rather than spending billions of pounds on trying to deport all of them, he will argue the government should spend the money on strengthening border controls and tackling people trafficking.

And people who have settled in the UK with their families should be given a chance to become citizens.

A Lib Dem source denied the plan would lead to an increase in illegal immigration - but admitted it would not go down well with anti-migration campaigners.

"There are some people who are going to be upset with us about it, but we are never going to avoid controversy."

Under Mr Clegg’s plan illegal immigrants will be given an "earned route" to citizenship, beginning with a two-year work permit.

‘Hammering’

The Lib Dems are also expected to back proposals to cut the basic income tax rate by 4p, on the third day of their annual conference in Brighton.

The plan would see an increase in green taxes - including a £10 charge on short haul flights and £2,000 road tax for gas-guzzling vehicles.

Treasury spokesman Vince Cable also wants to target the rich by ending taper relief on capital gains tax and introducing a local income tax.

But he appeared to distance himself from comments by party leader Sir Menzies Campbell, who when asked if the Lib Dem proposals mean the top 10% of earning would get a "hammering," replied "yes".

"I wouldn’t use that language," Mr Cable told BBC2’s Today at Conference, "we want a fairer tax system but I certainly don’t want to hammer them."

It comes amid another welter of negative headlines for Sir Menzies, with some newspapers claiming he made a gaffe during a question and answer session on Monday.