Theresa May has confirmed that the Conservative pledge to cut net migration to the tens of thousands will be in her party's manifesto, despite having missed the target after making the same promises in 2010 and 2015.
"We do want to bring net migration down to sustainable levels. We believe that is the tens of thousands," the prime minister told journalists at an event in the constituency of Harrow West to launch the campaigns of Conservative candidates for London and the south-east.May, who oversawimmigration policy during more than six years at the Home Office, claimed that Brexit would help her achieve the aim. "When we leave the European Union we will have the opportunity to make sure we have control of our borders – leaving the EU means we won't have free movement as it has been in the past," she added.
Senior party sources have told the Guardian that sticking to the policy was largely about perception so that voters see the government working towards the goal even if it is internally thought to be difficult to achieve.
They said the prime minister would also want to keep student numbers in the overall net immigration figure, despite cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson thinking they should come out, because taking them out would look like trying to "rig the rules". May made the comments in an event centre on an industrial site in Harrow to scores of south-east and London candidates including cabinet ministers Damian Green and David Gauke, the former justice secretary Michael Gove and former MPs Nick de Bois and Mary Macleod, who hope to win back their old seats. The group was joined by journalists and surrounded by banners that read "Theresa May's team", with the word "Conservatives" in much smaller print. The prime minister also suggested that the victory of Emmanuel Macron in France would boost the EU27 in Brexit talks. In a personal attack on the Labour leader, May added: "And the alternative is to risk making Jeremy Corbyn prime minister, and try to picture him sitting at that negotiating table with the collective might of the European commission and 27 other European countries against him.