Boris Johnson has pledged to introduce an Australian-style points-based system for migrants to restore “public faith” in immigration control.

Foreigners who want to work in Britain will have to be able to speak English and must have a job before they arrive if Mr Johnson becomes prime minister.

The Tory leadership front-runner said foreign workers will not be allowed to “cut ahead in the queue” by taking jobs that British people can do, and will have no entitlement to benefits when they first arrive.

He said it was vital to have control over the number of unskilled migrants coming to the UK from the EU and beyond, though he said Britain must be “much more open” to highly skilled migrants such as scientists. He added that he would be “tougher on those who abuse our hospitality”.

The former foreign secretary is the first of the two leadership contenders to directly tackle the issue of immigration, which was one of the key drivers of the Leave vote in the 2016 referendum.