Today the home secretary asked the Migration Advisory Committee to start work on what comes next. We want a newcomer in forms, evidence based eu migration policy. Weve commissioned the mac to look into it, an independent group. The Home Secretary Set out a vague timetable, sort of, that there will be three phases. The first will end on the specified date, the day we leave the eu, probably march, 2019. Eu citizens who are already here, who have five years residency, will be able to apply for a settled status and those with fewer than five years residency will be allowed to stay to clock up those five years. Even the apparently simple thing about what to do with eu citizens here already, and to take the big one, the European Union wants its own court to have some jurisdiction over these people to insure that their rights are respected, something the government doesnt like at all. The second phase is a slightly woolly transition phase, where it seems that eu residents will be able to come here but must register and they may have weaker rights than earlier writers enjoy. The idea here, the home office is, is to avoid a cliff edge in the Labour Market when brexit arrives. If we allow eu citizens in during the transition, will we keep the benefits of the Single Market as well . The Transition Proposal makes absolute sense for us in that you can see the logic in delaying the moment when we leave the Single Market, the Customs Union, if we do. The problem is that it may not make sense for the eu because they are hearing that we will enter Free Movement and they may not say that we can do that and keep the economic benefits of the market. And then the final migration system, after the transition process ends, but that could be anything from keeping things as they are for eu citizens or treating eu migrants like other migrants, a more burdensome and more capricious process. For non eu nationals, the uk regime is very prescriptive. If you are coming across as a sponsored worker, you can only come in for a role that requires degree level education. There are very prescriptive salary thresholds. If youre being transferred by an international company, the absolute minimum you can be paid is £41,500 perannum. Enormous Government Fees that must be paid by the employer and employee. £16,000 in Government Fees alone if you want to bring a family of five across for five years. To work out what comes next we must answer questions about who we want coming here. This slough based Employment Agency is worried about prioritise in skilled workers. The majority of the workers that we provide, hundreds on a daily basis, are working in the elementary sector, they are blue collar workers, and i dont think a points based system is the right kind of approach to continue to attract that kind of labour for the uk market. The points based system may cater for highly skilled migrants but it certainly wouldnt recognise, in my experience, the people with a low skill base that the country so much needs. He isnt the only businessman lobbying. Weve had everything from businessmen saying that we need banks talking about Contingency Planning and possibly moving their headquarters elsewhere. Disputes on this theme are rumbling along in government. Keeping business happy overall, while meeting the 100,000 Net Migration Target may prove impossible. You cant take control of everything. Well, why has the commissioning of the report by the Migration Advisory Committee, accompanied by a six page Letter Setting out a three Phase Transition period for eu nationals living and working in the uk, caused a degree of confusion . If the transition lasts for years, and eu workers are merely registered as being in the uk, does that constitute the end of Freedom Of Movement On March 2019 or not . Earlier i spoke to the immigration minister brandon lewis. I asked why the report wasnt commissioned a year and a month ago, straight after the brexit vote. Weve commissioned today, and the work with the Migration Advisory Committee will start and we will have interim reports as well. Later this year i will publish a white paper. In early 2018 we will bring an Immigration Bill. The home secretary has made it clear that there is a transition period of up to three years after march, 2019, went eu nationals can simply turn up and register to stay. And yet you say that freedom of movement will end in march, 2019. Which is it . Freedom of movement will end when we leave the eu, it is one of the four pillars. We get control back of the Immigration System. My understanding is that up to three years afterwards, workers in the European Union can come and simply register, which is not controlled, they can register and in the transition period, up to three years, they can stay. Is that right . We havent outlined the detail of what will happen. Amber rudd did. She didnt. Weve announced that the Migration Advisory Committee will look at the impact of labour and the european migration on our Labour Market in the uk and that will inform government policy. Government will set policy. The framework will be what the Immigration System will be in the Immigration Bill in 2018. We dont want a cliff edge, we want business to grow and develop. You say that they will be no Free Movement of european workers after march, 2019 but the home secretary says there will be Transition Arrangements for to three years where european workers can come here and work. Which is it . They are compatible, they go together perfectly well. When we leave the eu, by definition, freedom of movement will end. There will be a system, after march, 2019, which will be our new system and there will be a period of that, a Transition System including a number of things, for example eu citizens looking to get settled status in the uk, who have qualified, after that negotiation. There will be a grace period of two years for them to deal with it. We will say to people coming to this country that they will potentially have to register so we know who is here. That isnt controlling them. If this committee identifies a need for workers, say, 200,000 of various skills, would you accept that advice . I wont prejudge what the committee will do, they are independent, they will give interim reports. They will also be looking at what Industry Needs in terms of the proportion of workers. If the advice is 200,000, are you going to say that isnt acceptable . The decision on policy is a matter for the government and we will outline that in the Immigration Bill next year. There is no mention of keeping immigration to the tens of thousands, even as an aspiration. It wasnt mentioned and it is a manifesto commitment. It is a commitment and we have stuck to that, we are the only party saying we understand that people in this country want to see us having control of the borders, reducing migration to sustainable numbers and we are determined to deliver that but we want to do it in a way that allows the economy to flourish and we believe you can do both. How do you know you can do both . The hr directors said that 65 of our workers are eu nationals. You need low skilled workers. Can they come . We need to make sure we are developing the skills we need for the future in this country and attracting the brightest from the eu and around the world. It is in the brightest and best necessarily, this isnt to demean people but people want workers in Food Processing workers, hotels, baristas, they are the kind of low skilled workers that we dont have. Are you going to train people to be low skilled workers . One thing we must ensure we are doing, how we make sure we are getting the best opportunity. We can reduce the net migration down to the tens of thousands, while still making sure we have an economy that is thriving and seeing growth for our country. What kind of economy are we talking about . Do you believe in a centrally planned economy, you know what is going to happen, 3000 bmw workers, 500 hairdressers . You dont know, and you might be short of these people. Thats why we have an Immigration Policy that has the flexibility to deliver for the economy. Thats why were talking to different sectors, as i did to the Financial Sector today, and we are getting exposed to look at the economy. Im not going to prejudge what the Immigration Policy will be. That is a matter for the Immigration Bill in 2018. 0ur political editor, nick watt is with me. What have you learned . Your first question to him was why didnt you commission it a year ago, it is a tight timetable. I understand amber rudd was keen to get going on the project sometime ago the general election. That obviously didnt happen and as i understand it amber rudd has found it easier to get approval after the changes that took place in Downing Street after the general election. Preparatory work has been going on in the home office on this for some time. Its interesting that amber rudd is one of a trio of Cabinet Ministers who have been pushing for a more relaxed position on this to avoid what they are calling a cliff edge brexit. No suppliers that Philip Hammond is in the group but david davis, the brexit sev terry, is in that group brexit secretary. He got into trouble when they went beyond the agreed script, that the uk must attract the best and brightest after brexit. He said that we need an Immigration Policy that will avoid shortages in the Labour Market. Not happy in number ten when he said that. Thank you forjoining us. If the government seems to be at Sixes And Sevens over brexit, they are not alone. Jeremy corbyn and the shadow Secretary Of State for International Trade have put the clear message out on the airwaves and in print over the last few days that labour backs an end to the Single Market and says no to a Customs Union. But last night the shadow Chancellorjohn Mcdonnell seemed to contradict his leader, saying that labour was not ruling out membership of the Single Market at all. Earlier i met up with the shadow home secretary, diane abbot, and first asked her for her reaction to todays government announcement on immigration. The governments in a mess about immigration. They were happy to pander to ukip voters during the general election, but, belatedly now, they have realised the very vital role that eu migrants play in the economy. Im glad they are going to get some Expert Advice. I dont understand that they are seeking the Expert Advice a year after we voted to come out of the European Union. But some facts will be better than urban myths and some light will be better than the heat which is sometimes generated by immigration issues. Lets look then at labours position because barry gardiner, the shadow International Trade secretary, wrote in the guardian that labours position is out of the Single Market, out of the Customs Union because youll be a vassal state and actually what we need is a bespoke agreement. Is that your view . The labour party made it very clear in its manifesto, that it wants a brexit which puts jobs and the economy first and we are not, at this stage, taking any options off the table. But the government suggests this will be best for both . We may suggest that but at this point we arent taking options off the table. We believe in looking at where we want to go and what we want from these negotiations when we come up to them is to have the benefits of being in the Single Market and being in the Customs Union. We are about looking at adams. This is our childrens future. It would be irresponsible to ta ke future. It would be irresponsible to take options off the table. Jeremy corbyn made clear that he believes we should be out of the Single Market. As per the Jeremy Corbyn this afternoon and he was clear we werent taking options off the table. There would be no big or more important negotiation in my political lifetime. It would be foolish at this stage to take options off the table. What we said we should be out of the Single Market. Thats what he said when we pressed him on it. What we are saying is that when we come out of the Single Market, we will obviously be full, but we arent taking options off the table. Are you sure thatJeremy Corbyn voted to remain . Absolutely sure. Has he told you that . Thats absurd question. Its almost trying to undermine all the hard work he did and all of us did, to try and get the right result. But if you have the Labour Leader saying that he wants to leave the Single Market, that that is the option. If youve got your shadow International Trade secretary saying leave the Single Market, leave the Customs Union, that looks like labour is actually supporting a hard brexit and there is very little evidence to show that labour is doing anything to stop a hard brexit . You will see what were doing to stop a hard brexit when parliament returns. Like what . I can assure you that our vision for this country going forward, is very different from the view of theresa may and the people around her. Diane abbott, thank you very much. Once one of south americas richest countries, venezuela now teeters on the brink of civil war. Months of protests against president maduros government have resulted in scores of deaths. Inflation, malnutrition and even starvation are on the rise in a country with some of the Worlds Largest oil reserves. The bbc has spoken to activists who say the government is using torture and imprisonment without trial against those who oppose it, a claim the government denies. This weekend huge protests are expected in a showdown ahead of a vote to elect an assembly to change the constitution. 0pposition parties say this would create a dictatorship. So who are the people hoping to overthrow the president . Vladimir hernandez reports from caracas. Welcome to venezuela. Once the richestjewel in latin america, its now a country drowning in political and economic chaos. As his people rage, president nicolas maduros grip on power has grown increasingly desperate. Its feared a new constitution will establish a dictatorship. The bbc has heard disturbing allegations of State Torture against demonstrators. Ive been to caracas to meet the resistance to the maduro regime and to find out what future lies in store for this troubled country. It wasnt meant to be like this. By the time maduro came to power in 2013, Venezuelas Bolivarian revolution, begun by his charismatic predecessor, hugo chavez, was in chaos. Price regulations and the state control of industry had apparently failed. When the oil price fell, venezuelas extravagant spending didnt stop. The country found itself borrowing heavily and increasingly reliant on imports of food and medicine. In the last quarter years the economy has shrunk by a third. The imf estimates that inflation is running at over 700 . The people began to go hungry. Three out of four venezuelans lost an average of 18 lbs in weight last year. Corruption helps the regime to stay in power. The army are kept onside by being given charge of the most critical imports. The media is muscled. In march, maduros Supreme Court declared the Opposition LedNational Assembly to be illegitimate. Demonstrations and violent clashes with the Security Forces followed. Over 100 people have died and thousands more have been arrested. In may, president maduro called for a new constitution in an attempt to quell the protests. Its hard to get the government to talk to the media but the minister in charge of food distribution, a keyjob in todays venezuela, did agree to talk to me. In the chavista worldview, there is a familiar bogeyman. The opposition, unsurprisingly, disagree. Former president ial candidate Maria Corina