Ed Miliband Reveals New 'Immigration Crackdown', After Doing Just That 7 Times Before

Ed Reveals 'Immigration Crackdown', After Promising That 7 Times Before
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Labour Party leader Ed Miliband introduces New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (not pictured) in the main hall at Manchester Central, in Manchester on September 24, 2014 on the fourth day of the Labour Party conference. At the final party conference before the May 2015 general election, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband set out six key goals he hoped to achieve in office within a decade, to build a 'world-class Britain'. AFP PHOTO/LEON NEAL (Photo credit should read LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
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Ed Miliband has pledged to introduce a five-point immigration bill in the first year of a Labour government in a bid to head off the threat of Ukip.

Speaking in Chatham, near the Rochester and Strood constituency that polls say will give Nigel Farage's party its second MP next month, the Labour leader said the party would introduce the bill in the first Queen's Speech.

Voters, he said, "want an immigration system that reflects their values of fairness and responsibility. And its only Labour that understands both of those things." For good measure, he said that Labour would be saying "more about immigration policy in months to come".

The Telegraph's Christopher Hope described it as a "crackdown", but Labour sources are quick to deny briefing it in such a way, instead saying Miliband is "doing this the Labour way".

Miliband has repeatedly promised to tackle immigration. Despite this, Ukip has continued to rise and gain supporters, with the party "ripping lumps" out of Labour at the recent Heywood and Middleton by-election.

Given Miliband promised to tackle immigration seven times before, why will the eigth be any better for him?