Tony Blair today demands tough new immigration rules, arguing that the open borders he presided over as prime minister are no longer appropriate.

Blair has put his name to a report calling on the government to force European Union migrants coming to Britain to register on arrival so they can be counted in and out of the UK.

Those who failed to register would be banned from renting a home, opening a bank account or claiming benefits.

In an explosive intervention that will electrify the Brexit debate, the former prime minister argues that by bringing in proper immigration controls it would be possible to take back control of Britain’s borders without leaving the EU.

The report will make uncomfortable reading for Theresa May since it