CAMPAIGNERS have accused the Tories of whipping up hate by announcing racist and discriminatory plans to make it more difficult for migrants to access social housing. 

The government said today that only those with “close connections” to Britain will be favoured for social housing. 

Applicants will have to demonstrate a connection to Britain for at least 10 years.

Housing Minister Lee Rowley said that those who “actively work against our British values” will have to face “consequences” and that the “proposals seek to stop such people getting a social home.”

Under the proposals, individuals with criminal records and terrorists would also face bans.

Mr Rowley said: “The message is clear: play by the rules, pay in and we will support you. If you choose not to, this country is not going to be a soft touch.”

Labour frontbencher Peter Kyle echoed the racially charged sentiment on Sky News. 

He said it was right that people in areas where there is an acute challenge with housing know that “housing should go to people who are already born and raised in certain communities.”

According to the Guardian, the proposals will be rolled out under the slogan: “British homes for British workers.”

Humans for Rights Network founder Maddie Harris said the “inherently racist” policy is part of a desperate bid to retain power.

“A divided population creates opportunity for control and manipulation,” she said.

Acorn tenants’ union head organiser Nick Ballard agreed that it is a “tokenistic attempt to win cheap political points ahead of the election.”

He added that decades of cuts and the acceleration of the disastrous right-to-buy scheme “has resulted in 1.2 million people waiting in a queue for social housing that most will never reach the end of.”

A consultation on the policy will run until March 26 and can be accessed via an online survey.

The government has suggested measures may be implemented by secondary legislation, which means they do not require a parliamentary vote.

Migrants’ Rights Network chief Fizza Qureshi accused the government of shifting the blame of its numerous policy failings onto migrants.

“This proposed policy will exacerbate houselessness, forcing newly arrived people onto the streets, with migrant and housing charities having to repair the damage,” she warned.

Care4Calais chief Steve Smith said that the government has “tried to create scapegoats rather than solutions.”

“A lack of investment in social housing has caused the UK’s housing crisis, not the nationality of those who need it.”