After years of urging more cheap foreign labour, certain segments of big business in Britain (not 'British big business'; there is no such thing) are getting worried about a voter revolt against their friends in power, getting worried about the social mess they may have to pay to clean up, and starting to question whether an economy based on cheap foreign labour is really a good business proposition in the long run. So perhaps it is no surprise to see the new leader of the employers organization the CBI come out with a statement recommending an end to Labour’s open door immigration policy.

Richard Lambert the Director General last week told business leaders that the country will struggle to cope with the influx of up to 600,000 workers expected from Romania and Bulgaria when the two countries join the EU next year.

He said it would be a big mistake for Britain to 'thrown open our doors to these new member states immediately.'

Pause recommended

There should be 'a pause', rather than letting an unlimited number of workers and their families come to Britain to seek well-paid jobs. Mr Lambert said the wave of immigration has 'potential implications for the social fabric of this country', such as education, housing and 'the way we live.'

He said: 'We would risk having an unskilled workforce and there are clear links between skills, unemployment, health and crime.'

The remarks come as domestic unemployment has soared to its highest level for more than six years fuelled by the influx of Eastern European immigrants. According to the Office for National Statistics there are nearly 1.7 million unemployed. Over the last year, this has soared by a staggering 242,000, the biggest annual increase for more than a decade.

However there is still a significant number of corporate giants who argue that the influx of cheap Eastern European workers is welcome.

Captains of industry including the chairmen of BP, Sainsbury's and Boots are backing a campaign Business for New Europe to extend the open-door policy to all comers from the two new planned EU countries.