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In the wake of the local and European elections held in the UK on 22nd May, after some disappointing results, the UK's opposition Labour Party has a rethink of its future immigration policy.
Labour is the main opposition party in the UK and wanted to win the elections to show that it was on course to win the UK's national elections in May 2015. In fact, the anti-immigration, anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) won the greatest number of seats in the elections pushing Labour into second place.
The prime minister of the UK, David Cameron, is said to be preparing to introduce new immigration legislation to help combat the electoral challenge presented by the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
Mr Cameron is said to be considering legislation to limit immigration from eastern Europe.
The former UK prime minister Sir John Major has told the BBC that his successor David Cameron has a good chance of persuading other EU countries that reform of the EU's free movement of labour rules is necessary.
Sir John, who was the Conservative prime minister between 1992 and 1997, said that the success of anti-EU parties across the continent should persuade EU politicians that change is necessary.
The former Labour Prime Minister of the UK, Tony Blair, has warned the current Labour leader, Ed Miliband that he must not change Labour's immigration policy in order to try to fight off the electoral threat posed by the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's breakfast programme Today, Mr Blair said that UKIP was 'nasty and unpleasant' and warned that attempting to change tack to win votes back from UKIP would 'confuse its own supporters'.
In the recent European parliamentary elections, voters throughout the EU voted against the status quo. Large numbers of voters supported fringe parties with anti-establishment, anti-EU policies. Many backed right-wing anti-immigrant parties.
Throughout Europe, anti-EU parties have made significant gains. In northern and eastern Europe, these fringe parties have generally been on the right, whereas in several southern EU countries, left wing parties did well.
Democratic leader in the US Senate, Senator Harry Reid, has suggested that the Republicans in the House of Representatives (or 'the House' as it is known) should pass immigration reform before August 1st 2014 but, because they say they don't trust President Obama to apply the law correctly, they should stipulate that the law will not come into force until 2017, after Mr Obama has ceased to be president.