Blears provokes row over immigrants 'drinking on the street' and 'avoiding taxes'

The Labour chairman and deputy leadership contender was accused by MPs of "dangerous" stereotyping for also suggesting that migrants failed to pay taxes.

She waded into the debate started by fellow Minister Margaret Hodge when she called for the British to have priority for housing over migrants.

In an interview Miss Blears, who was born and raised in her Salford constituency, said voters in the area were worried their wages were being undercut by cheap labour from eastern Europe - an issue already highlighted by Gordon Brown.

But she went further by suggesting that "street drinking" and unruly behaviour by migrants was rife in her constituency.

The former Home Office Minister said: "We have got areas in Salford where private landlords are letting properties with ten and 12 people in there.

"The community doesn't object to the people, they object to the exploitation and the fact that that leads to people being on the street drinking, anti-social behaviour.

"They don't object to the people being there, but they object if they are undercutting wages and not getting the national minimum wage and they are not abiding by health and safety, so you have got to enforce the law."

She added: "Salford used to be 93 per cent white working class. Our community's changing before our eyes.

"People can see it and they get worried - if it is not being managed properly.

"Everyone is working harder now probably than they have worked before and they feel that everyone who can work should.

"They don't like people to avoid paying taxes: if they have got to do it, everyone else should."

Miss Blears told the Independent on Sunday she was "very worried" the far Right was playing on fears about immigration. But Labour insiders said her remarks could backfire.

And John Cruddas, one of her deputy leadership rivals, said: "Immigrants are here to work but they are vulnerable to extraordinary abuses at the hands of employers and private landlords ... We should not seek to stigmatise these people."

Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote, said: "There is no evidence migrant workers are drinking on the street. Most people would accept migrant workers are doing a good job for a fair price."

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "It is wholly irresponsible for Ministers to stereotype any group in society."