The PM and his partner Carrie ­Symonds made their first public appearance together on the campaign trail last night at Neasden Hindu temple in London. The pair attended celebrations for what would have been the 98th birthday of guru Pramukh Swami ­Maharaj. Ms Symonds wore a fuschia sari, with both sporting bindis on their foreheads.

In his letter to the nation, Mr Johnson says that the new system would “allow us to make it easier for the brightest talent from around the world to come here. But it will put in place tough new checks to ensure that lower skilled ­migrants only enter the UK if there is a specific shortage of workers and that their stay will only be temporary. ­Everyone who comes to the UK will contribute to our NHS from day one – that is only fair.”

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said: “The vote to leave the EU was a vote to take back control of our borders, and that is exactly what a Conservative ­majority government will do by getting Brexit done and ending freedom of movement. Immigration will finally be subject to democratic control. We will be able to create a fairer system, which will attract the brightest and the best from around the world to come here and contribute to our society and economy, while getting overall immigration down. Corbyn’s Labour want uncontrolled and unlimited immigration, placing huge strain on public services like our NHS.”

Under the plans, there will be no cap on the numbers of migrants in the “exceptional talent” category and those individuals will no longer need an offer of employment to arrive in the UK.

The Conservatives are also proposing to expand the number of British universities and research institutes that can endorse candidates for this category of visa and any individual endorsed as a “recognised leader” or “emerging leader” will be awarded additional points under the system.