Diane Abbott risked stoking Labour tensions over its approach to immigration after disagreeing with leading MPs and Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman.

The shadow Home Secretary was pressed to outline the Opposition's policy on how to manage migration, insisting it is about “fair rules and reasonable migration” – something she said shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry has outlined.

But she discounted Mr Corbyn's spokesman who said in September that the Labour leader is “not concerned about numbers” and not seeking to reduce immigration.

She also said shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis is “no longer saying” companies should only be allowed to bring in foreign workers if they “belong to a trade union”, with Ms Abbott describing this idea as “profoundly anti-civil libertarian”.

The Labour frontbencher later said “targets never work” after being told Labour MP Dan Jarvis would like to see one to outline cuts to immigration numbers.

Labour MPs Rachel Reeves and Chuka Umunna have stressed the need to end freedom of movement but also retain the best possible access to the European single market as part of Brexit talks.

Ms Abbott said they were “not facing the fact” that access to the single market is dependent on comparable freedom of movement.

She made the remarks during an interview on BBC 1's Sunday Politics, days after statistics were published showing net migration – the overall difference between the numbers arriving and leaving the country - was 335,000 in the year to the end of June.

These figures are significantly above the Government's controversial target of fewer than 100,000.

Extracts from what Mr Corbyn's spokesman said in September were quoted to Ms Abbott, including “it's not an objective to reduce the numbers, to reduce immigration”, and “Jeremy is not concerned about numbers”.

Shadow Brexit minister Sir Keir Starmer's October claim of there being “a huge amount of immigration over the last 10 years” and a need for it to be reduced was also quoted.

Presenter Andrew Neil then pointed to remarks from Ms Thornberry about the need for Labour to be “open to the idea of having reasonably managed migration”.

Asked which of the three lines is Labour policy, Ms Abbott told Neil: “Our policy is fair rules and reasonable management of migration.”

Pressed again, Ms Abbott said: “Well, the Corbyn spokesperson I think we can discount that – that wasn't Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy has never said anything like that.

“However, Jeremy has been very clear we musn't play politics with migration.”

Ms Abbott added: “Our policy is fair rules and reasonable migration and that's what Emily was saying.”

Told about Mr Lewis's idea, Ms Abbott said: “I think he's rowed back from that – that would be profoundly anti-civil libertarian to insist that people join a union.

“However, we should do everything we can to encourage to people to join.”

Asked to confirm people would not have to be a trade union member to be allowed into the UK, she added: “Clive Lewis is no longer saying that.”

Questioned about Mr Jarvis's desire for a target, Ms Abbott replied: “I'm a former Home Office civil servant and what I can tell you is targets never work.

“Look at the humiliation for the Tories of their targets of bringing it down to tens of thousands - immigration is as high as it's ever been.

“Targets are not the point. The point is to look at the underlying economic issues which bring migrants to our shores.”

Ms Abbott has previously said it would be wrong to “unnecessarily throw away” access to the single market “in the name of controlling migration through ending free movement”, adding ending free movement has “become a synonym for anti-immigrant racism”.

Questioned if Ms Reeves, Mr Umunna and former senior Labour MP Ed Balls had been guilty of anti-immigrant racism, Ms Abbott said: “I'm not accusing them of that but what I am saying is they're not facing the fact - the fact is you cannot have access to the single market without commensurate freedom of movement.”

Ms Abbott was questioned why the UK could not follow Canada in securing access to the single market while not allowing free movement.

She replied: “Our geographical situation across the Channel from the European continent is very different from Canada.

“Whether people like it or not, it's not whether you're against freedom of movement or for freedom of movement, it's like the weather - if the UK, off the Channel from continental Europe, wants access to the single market there has to be commensurate freedom of movement, otherwise the European Parliament will not vote for that deal.”

Ms Abbott's shadow cabinet colleague John Healey earlier this week said Labour's challenge from Ukip is there is a sense “in too many areas” that the party no longer understands the issues which matter to many people.

Asked about Mr Healey's comments, Ms Abbott said: “He's wrong if what he is saying is we have to move right on immigration to save seats from Ukip.

“My belief is that if the Labour Party starts saying that Ukip is right and immigration is the cause of all these people's problems, I think if we start saying that it gives credence to Ukip.”

Labour MP Ian Austin, writing on Twitter, said Ms Abbott had “managed to disagree” with Mr Healey, Sir Keir, Mr Lewis and Mr Corbyn's spokesman.

A Conservative spokesman said: “Labour's position on immigration is hopelessly confused and totally out-of-step with the values of ordinary working people.”