Theresa May insists the Tories WILL reach their goal of reducing net migration to the ‘tens of thousands’
But the PM has yet to say whether she would include David Cameron's pledge in her election manifesto
THERESA MAY has vowed she WILL keep David Cameron's promise to cut net immigration to the tens of thousands ahead of her election manifesto launch.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley's comments this morning that it was "not about the numbers" were seen as a hint that the Government may STILL not hit their targets after Brexit.
Mr Cameron promised as Prime Minister that he would slash net migration to less than 100,000 per year.
But that target has yet to be hit - and the last set of figures showed 273,000 still came to the UK in the last year.
Following our historic vote to leave the European Union, the numbers have fallen slightly - but it is still miles away from the Government's aim.
But today Mrs May promised that her Government would hit the target.
She told Sky this evening: "It's important that we have net migration that is in sustainable numbers - we believe sustainable numbers ARE the tens of thousands.
"Leaving the European Union enables us to control our borders in relation to people coming from within the EU as well as outside."
Ms Bradley had previously told Sky News this morning: "What we need is to have the right people, to attract the brightest and best.
"It’s not about putting numbers on it, it’s about making sure we can deliver where industries need skills, where brightest and best want to come to Britain."
A spokesman for Karen Bradley added: “As the prime minister said yesterday, we are committed to reducing net migration to sustainable levels. We have always been clear that that means the tens of thousands.
“We’ve always been clear that we need an immigration system that attracts the brightest and the best and gives this country the skills it needs, as Karen said this morning.”
However, the PM may also have to make concessions on cutting migrants numbers because of her decision to call an early election.
The PM is set to be forced to no longer count foreign students in immigration figures after a call by the House of Lords.