Senior ministers urged the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair to delay granting employment rights to eastern and central European workers when the EU expanded in 2004, newly-released files have revealed. In February that year, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw pointed out that Britain was alone amongst the bigger EU members in offering a "concession".

Tony Blair’s government pressed ahead with an open borders policy for new EU countries in 2004 despite ministers urging him to re-think the policy, newly released files have revealed.

Newly released official files lift lid on how ministers expressed concerns over unrestricted access for workers from new EU countries

Prime minister ignored advice of Straw and Prescott who feared allowing immediate unrestricted access would lead to a surge in immigration