Tony Blair meets Pope Francis days after admitting we DO need immigration curbs because as PM he allowed EU migration to soar
Last weekend Mr Blair said he had a 'renewed sense of mission' to persuade Brits to stop Brexit
TONY BLAIR has met the Pope just days after he admitted we DO need new controls on immigration.
Last weekend Mr Blair said he had a "renewed sense of mission" to persuade Brits to stop Brexit.
And today he shook hands with the head of the Catholic Church during his weekly audience.
The pair exchanged a few words at St Peter's Square, the Vatican.
The Pope was sporting a black eye after the 80-year-old slammed his head into the Popemobile in Columbia last week.
The Remainer-in-chief switched from the Anglican Church to Catholicism soon after leaving Downing Street in 2007.
But he sparked fury again over the weekend by putting his name to a report calling on EU migrants to be made to register on arrival in the UK.
He finally admitted we needed more controls on immigration - and said if they failed to register the Government should ban them from renting a home, opening a bank account of claiming benefits.
Tories hit out at the former PM for being in charge when Labour waved through changes to allow unlimited EU migration from Eastern European countries.
He hopes the intervention will prove Britain can take back control of Britain’s borders without leaving the European Union.
Mr Blair told the Andrew Marr show on Sunday: “Brexit is a distraction not a solution to the problems this country faces.”
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And he insisted again that it would cause “real economic and political damage”.
Calling for a fresh vote after we know exactly what Brexit will look like, he urged MPs to speak up to try and halt our EU exit by any means possible.
Mr Blair said: “There are ways of controlling immigration that doesn’t have to mean Brexit” and added that “freedom of movement had a beneficial impact” on Britain.
But Sir Micheal Fallon tore him apart on the same show, and said that Britain IS leaving the EU and he should “get over it”.
“It’s a bit late now, this epiphany,” the Defence Secretary stormed.
“The country wants proper controls over immigration… we are leaving the EU now, that means freedom of movement has to end.
“It’s a pity he didn’t think of that when all these new countries were admitted to the EU on his watch.”
