He added: “The idea that you can have some fundamental debate that somehow
stops all these foreigners coming here is rather typical rightwing,
nationalist escapism, I think.”

He added foreigners had made Britain “far more exciting and healthier”.

It came as Labour and the Liberal Democrats backed calls from Conservative
ministers for tougher limits on European Union migrants’ rights to claim
benefits in Britain.

The signals from the two parties came after Iain Duncan Smith and Chris
Grayling, Conservative Cabinet ministers, suggested that EU citizens should
have to wait two years before being able to claim benefits in Britain.

The Coalition has toughened the rules so that migrants can get some benefits
after three months, but many Conservatives think that does not go far
enough.

Rachel Reeves, the Labour welfare spokesman, said the Opposition would back
changes that linked migrants’ rights to their employment history in Britain.

She told Sky News: “If they come up with concrete proposals that are
workable, that are practical, that protect our social security system, that
protect that principle that you have to pay something in before you get
something out, then we would support that.”

Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, said Mr Duncan Smith’s idea was “eminently
sensible”.

He told the BBC: “What he said was that it is worth exploring whether you
can create a set of shared criteria by which you judge the point at which
someone can claim benefits. That is eminently sensible – to say that, if we
can come to an agreement that you have to jump through certain hoops before
you can claim benefits having moved to a different European Union country,
then fine.”

Chris Grayling, the Conservative Justice Secretary, said people should not be
allowed to move around the EU to claim benefits.

Asked if he agreed with Mr Duncan Smith’s proposals, Mr Grayling said: “Yes
I do. I think that there should be an assumption in the way our migration
system works that, before you can move from one country to another, before
you can start to take back from that country’s social security system, you
should have made a significant contribution to it.

“I spent two–and–a–half years as employment minister working in Brussels
to try to get the European Commission to accept the need for change. Many
other member states agreed with the need for change. There is a groundswell
of opinion out there that is behind Iain.”

Despite the growing British consensus, however, a European commissioner said
EU rules prevented Britain adopting a two–year limit.

Laszlo Andor, the employment commissioner, said: “The EU rule is that,
after three months, it should be the habitual residence of the individual
which determines the entitlement to benefits.”

The commissioner also insisted there was no reason for Britain to change its
rules, because EU migrants paid more into the UK system then they took out.