David Hanson MP, Labour’s Shadow Immigration Minister, responding to reports that David Cameron is planning quotas for EU workers, said:
"Labour is in favour of reform to European free movement rules and we will examine any proposals the government comes forward with to manage immigration with interest.
"But why should anyone believe the Prime Minister when he has a record of making big promises on immigration and not delivering, when everyone knows he wants headlines for the Rochester and Strood by-election, and when the briefing from the Government keeps changing every couple of days?
"The Prime Minister has made pledges on immigration before, promising that he would get net migration down to the ‘tens of thousands’, 'no ifs, no buts’. But he had no practical policies to deliver it, and hat target is now in tatters.
"We do need reforms to the free movement rules - which is why Labour has already put forward practical plans to stop people travelling to claim benefits, deport people who commit crimes, and stop employers undercutting local jobs and wages with cheap migrant Labour. We want to see fair movement not free movement.
“We will see what David Cameron can deliver but at the moment all we’ve seen are vague promises aimed at the Rochester and Strood by-election because Tory Eurosceptics are defecting, instead of the practical plans and real action that is required.”