Ukip will reinstate the 'primary purpose rule' for bringing foreign spouses and children to the UK. What was the rule? Well, as the BBC reporter back in 1997 when it was abolished by Labour, it required foreign nationals married to British citizens "to prove that the primary purpose of their marriage was not to obtain British residency". If those wishing to take up residency in the UK could not prove this to the satisfaction of immigration officers, they were denied entry in the UK. The change in the law was designed to place the burden of proof on immigration officials rather than those applying for residency.