John Major has these (surprising) things to say about immigrants

People who migrate to Britain have “the very Conservative instinct” of wanting to better themselves and improve the lot of their families, according to Sir John Major.

His stance is in marked contrast to David Cameron who recently announced changes to the benefits system which was aimed at discouraging immigrants coming to Britain expecting to "get something for nothing".

But Sir John, the Conservative prime minister from 1990-97, said it was wrong to suggest that immigrants merely travelled to the UK “to benefit from our social security system”.

Drawing on his own experience of growing up alongside immigrants in Brixton, south London, Sir John said people needed to have “guts and drive” to travel to another country thousands of miles away to work.

There was a different social value placed on immigration. I saw immigration at very close quarters in the 1950s.

They shared my house. They were my neighbours. I played with them as boys. I didn’t see people who had come here just to benefit from our social system.

I saw people with guts and the drive to travel halfway across the world in many cases to better themselves and their families. And I think that is a very Conservative instinct.

• Sir John Major speaking to BBC Radio 4's Reflections

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