Knives out for Short over EU asylum 'sabotage'

Furious cabinet ministers last night condemned Clare Short for sabotaging Tony Blair's plans at the Seville summit to cut EU aid to countries that fail to control the tide of economic migrants into Europe.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, and the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, were said to be "incandescent" with rage at Ms Short for attacking as "silly" and "morally repugnant" proposals to cut aid to the poor on the eve of the summit.

Mr Blair returned from the summit with an historic EU-wide common policy on asylum seekers and a commitment to make it work, but he is faced with a simmering cabinet row after being forced to accept a compromise on joint British and Spanish proposals to punish poorer countries. Ms Short, who is renowned for her outspoken views, was under fire from her most senior cabinet colleagues who accused her of "double standards".

One senior government source told The Independent on Sunday Ms Short had agreed the plans at a cabinet committee meeting shortly before making her attack on a GMTV programme in an interview with Steve Richards, the IoS's chief political commentator. "She signed up to the proposals and then went out and attacked them," said the source.

Ministers pointed out that Ms Short negotiated and signed an identical proposal as part of a new EU agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, which took effect last year. "Her criticism is rather ironic, given her role in the previous agreement," one ministerial source said, while another added: "It's double standards. She is playing to the gallery."

The final deal – aimed at countering the rise of the populist extreme right-wing across Europe – includes a common definition of refugee status, co-ordinated policies on visas, an updated treaty laying down which country should deal with asylum claims and further measures to tackle "asylum shopping".

Despite his annoyance with Ms Short, Mr Blair will defend the package when he makes a Commons statement tomorrow. "This, for us, has never been about hitting poor countries," he said. "The last thing we want to do is to hit those poor countries." Mr Blair added: "We must combat illegal immigration and the mafias that traffic human beings."

Britain had wanted to cut aid to non-EU countries such as Turkey which failed to take action to stem the tide of economic migrants from their territory. Mr Blair had urged the EU before the summit to use "financial and economic clout" against the migrants.

But after France and Sweden echoed Ms Short in criticising any move to penalise non-EU countries, Mr Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister, had to allow the plans to be watered down.

The compromise means aid to non-EU countries will be cut only as a last resort and action will require unanimity among all 15 EU members, leaving the French with a veto. Reductions will apply to new money rather than existing agreements.

A clearly irritated Mr Straw said the principle of tying aid and trade to immigration policies had already been accepted by the EU under the Cotonou Agreement.

Mr Blunkett, who will have crisis talks with his French opposite number on Tuesday about the controversial Sangatte refugee camp in Calais, had been hoping for closer co-operation from the new French government. He will be urging the French to tighten security