An MP has challenged government to set out how it can reduce immigration when being part of the European Union means people can come and go as they please. Shipley MP Philip Davies said the pledge by Prime Minister David Cameron was not worth the paper it was written on while Britain remained part of the EU with open borders. He said: “The clue is in the title – free movement of people. The Prime Minister once said immigration placed real pressures on communities up and down the country not just pressures on schools, housing and healthcare although those have been serious, but social pressures too. “We need a debate on how the government’s approach to getting immigration down to tens of thousands is going because in that debate we will realise that the only way to control immigration as the Prime Minister wanted is to leave the European union.” Deputy Leader of the Commons Therese Coffey said the government was committed to tackling the problem and measures had been strengthened in the Immigration Act. She added: “The UK has created more jobs than the European union put together in six years so I do not think people should be surprised if some of those jobs have attracted people to come and work from the European Union. Nevertheless the pledge still stands.” Mr Davies is campaigning for a Leave vote in next month’s referendum and said the government’s figures proved Britain could stand independently.