Ed Miliband has urged Labour MPs not to panic about public concern over immigration – despite polls showing the party’s reputation on the issue slumping to a six year low amid a surge in support for Ukip. The embattled Labour leader told a private meeting of MPs that the party could not ‘out-Ukip Ukip’. He insisted Labour had the right policies on immigration and told MPs they needed to just ‘keep going on at it’, a source told MailOnline. But Mr Miliband risks accusations of being in denial over the scale of the party’s problem on immigration in the wake of last week’s shock by-election in Heywood and Middleton, which saw Ukip fall just 600 votes short of beating Labour in its Greater Manchester heartland.
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Labour leader told private meeting of MPs the party could not 'out-Ukip Ukip'
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He told Labour MPs they had  to 'keep going' with message to win support
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Public support for Labour's immigration policies has slumped to six year low
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MPs fear concern over immigration is leading to surge in support for Ukip
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Another MP at the meeting said Mr Miliband told them it was no good offering ‘quick fixes’ and called on the party to keep pushing @placeholder’s message on immigration.