TORY candidates followed their leader as he spelled out the party's immigration policy.

With an election hotly tipped for May, Michael Howard was in Kent to promote a policy which has seen the Tories close the gap on Labour.

Speaking at County Hall in Maidstone, Mr Howard, who was elected Tory leader in November 2003, was flanked by Dartford and Gravesham's parliamentary candidates Gareth Johnson and Adam Holloway.

Mr Holloway said he did not see Mr Howard's policy of stricter immigration control being unpopular in Gravesham's multi-cultural communities.

Speaking about Gravesham's ethnic minorities, he said: "As far as I'm concerned, those with citizenship are as British as I am.

What the Tories propose:

Conservative immigration control policies, announced by Michael Howard, would mean:

  • An annual limit to immigration, including a quota for genuine refugees.
  • 24-hour security at ports to prevent illegal immigration.
  • Introducing an Australian-style points system for work permits, giving priority to people with skills that are needed in Britain.
  • People travelling to Britain with holiday and student visas will not be able to switch to long-stay visas once they have arrived

"We've a 7.3 per cent Sikh population in Gravesend. They are a backbone of society and a fantastic immigration success story and they tell me they don't want to see uncontrolled immigration."

He said underprivileged communities, such as the King's Farm Estate, were being let down and called for more police and less political correctness.

Mr Howard insisted he would ensure Britain took its fair share of genuine refugees.

He said: "The anniversary of Auschwitz - where my grandmother was murdered along with over a million others - has reminded all of us that we have a moral responsibility to those fleeing persecution."

But he said we cannot ignore the scale of the immigration problem.

He added: "Kent County Council's asylum budget was less than £250,000 in 1996. Last year it was £53 million.

"That's the price we're paying for a system that's in chaos, overseen by a Prime Minister who's run out of ideas about how to fix it."

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