Ledbury's MP Sir Bill Wiggin has asked the Prime Minister why Britain lets in “the wrong sort” of immigrants, rather than “the right ones”.

Boris Johnson was taking questions on a range of topics during the Parliamentary Liaison Committee this afternoon (Wednesday).

“At the other end of the spectrum, we have on at least three occasions promised the Qataris visa-free access,” Sir Bill said.

“These are very wealthy people who are unlikely to stay and yet despite saying we would do it three times we still haven't delivered.

“I am really worried, Prime Minister, that everything you have said to us today I actually want to happen. But it isn't happening, and the only people who are turning up turned up in rubber boats.

“Why can't we get the right people through our immigration system instead of the wrong ones?”

Mr Johnson asked in return: “If I understand you correctly, Bill, what you are saying is, why can't the Qataris and other Gulf countries have visa-free access?”

To which Sir Bill replied: “We wanted Ukrainians, we want Qataris, we don't want people in rubber boats. And we’re not getting it.”

In his column for our sister paper the Hereford Times, Sir Bill contrasted the plight of Ukrainians with what he called economic migrants.

He said of the Ukrainians, "facing this overwhelmingly powerful neighbour must be truly terrifying, yet we are getting reports of ordinary men and women volunteering to undergo basic training in order to fight back.

"One cannot help but contrast this with the economic migration from Syria and other troubled states.

"The Ukrainians want to stand and fight, and it is therefore right that the Government is doing everything sensible to support them.