TORY hopeful Margot James backed stricter controls on immigration as she took to the campaign trail in Holborn and St Pancras this week.
Ms James, aiming to unseat Labour’s Frank Dobson, spent the first week of the campaign canvassing across the constituency. She said last night (Wednesday) that the main issues raised on the doorstep were crime, housing and care for the elderly.
But Ms James is opening up the debate on immigration.
She said: “It is a sensitive subject. We are committed to helping the people that are already here to integrate. They have made a huge contribution.
“What we are saying is there are finite resources and public services and we need to control the numbers coming in. We are concerned that there is a lack of control.”
Ms James added: “I think the Somali community has found it difficult to integrate in Camden. We would be committed to helping Somalis who are already here to train and do jobs they have done before.
“But there is pent-up anger. People feel that if they talk about the subject they will be called racist. That has been pushed by the Labour Party, who have tried to put the lid on an issue they find uncomfortable.”