Yvette Cooper reveals positive talks with backbench Tories on fresh immigration policies

Former shadow Home Secretary proposes use of ‘Citizens’ juries’ to try to fill the ‘void where the immigration debate should be’

The chairwoman of Labour’s Refugee Taskforce says the ‘stand-off between France and Britain over who will help the children in Calais has to end’ (AFP/Getty)

‘Citizens’ juries’ should be used to help map out fresh immigration policies and achieve a national consensus on controls, says Yvette Cooper.

The former Labour leadership candidate is proposing panels of people chosen to represent their communities to try to fill the “void where the immigration debate should be”.

The conclusions of the juries would be fed to a new cross-party National Commission on Immigration, drawing together politicians, faith leaders, community leaders, trades unions and employers.

Ms Cooper has had positive talks with some Conservative backbenchers about setting up the Commission, to ease rising tensions about immigration following the Brexit vote.

She told The Independent: “Immigration is important for Britain, but many worry about control, safeguards and the impact on jobs and pay.

“From past public meetings I’ve held, I think we should be trying to build a consensus on the principles of a new framework of rules and controls on immigration outside the EU.

“For too long we have left a void where the immigration debate should be. Citizens juries should form part of a National Commission on Immigration, talking to and hearing from people in the small towns, to the big cities and all across the UK.”

Ms Cooper stressed the urgency of finding a new approach, warning that “extremists are waiting to exploit divisions”.

She added: “We must confront this – and in a cross-party way. Community cohesion cannot cope with more games, either by the far right ramping up rhetoric or politicians staying sheepishly silent.”

The move by the former shadow Home Secretary comes as more Labour MPs echo her call in June for the party to accept the need for some restrictions on freedom of movement of EU citizens.

Ms Cooper has argued that Britain, once outside the EU, will not support free movement - particularly of unskilled workers.

She sees that gathering mood as particularly crucial for Labour, warning it is in danger of rejection in industrial towns and “becoming a party of the cities and university towns”.

Meanwhile, Ms Cooper will also call for Britain to agree immediately to take half of 1,000 lone child refugees with “nowhere at all to go”, ahead of the looming closure of the Calais Jungle camp.

Speaking as chairwoman of Labour’s Refugee Taskforce, she will tell the Labour Party conference that the “stand-off between France and Britain over who will help the children has to end”.

Ms Cooper will say: “In Calais tonight, 1,000 children will go to sleep in muddy tents, alone in a camp run by traffickers and criminal gangs.

“Now France say they will dismantle the camp by Christmas, moving people to accommodation centres across the country where their asylum claims will be assessed. And they are right to do so - the camp is dangerous.

“But there are no places for lone children. No safe accommodation for the child refugees alone in the camp to go. Last time they cleared the camp, many of the children just disappeared. This is urgent.”

Both the French and British Children’s Commissioners are demanding action, with a call for France to accept the other 500 children.