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The Tories have been forced into a humiliating U-turn over their 'repugnant' plans for foreign worker lists after just six days.

Ministers admitted today there will be no "naming and shaming" of firms that employ large numbers of foreigners after the scheme prompted a national outcry.

The plans were announced on Monday by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, whose aides suggested firms should "be clear about the proportion of their workforce which is international".

But the backlash spread to business chiefs as Ms Rudd's own brother condemned the plans and one pundit likened them to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.

David Cameron 's former advisor Steve Hilton was the latest to join condemnation today of the "divisive, repugnant and insanely bureaucratic" plans - saying workers might as well be "tattooed with numbers on their forearms".

Today Education Secretary Justine Greening announced a U-turn on live TV.

(Image: Carl Court)

She told ITV's Peston on Sunday: "[It] is really about collecting the right evidence we will need if we're going to respond to skills shortages of employers.

"This is not data that will be published.

"There will be absolutely no naming and shaming."

Asked to clarify the details would be confidential, she said: "Correct.

"This is about informing policy so we understand particularly [in] which areas and parts of the country there are skills shortages.

"It then enables us to tailor policy in those areas so we can respond to that."

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Asked why Ms Rudd didn't say that before, she said: "I'm saying it absolutely clearly now and the consultation will be coming out shortly which makes that clear too."

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon also confirmed the U-turn in a separate appearance minutes apart on live radio.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live's John Pienaar: "That is absolutely not going to happen.

"We're not to ask companies to list or name or identify their foreign workers.

(Image: Roland Leon/Daily Mirror)

"What we're looking at is to see whether that's just box-ticking or whether we can get a better picture of exactly what the dependence of foreign workers is in each particular sector.

"That would mean for example asking companies simply to report the numbers - which we wouldn't publish, we wouldn't identify anybody."

Another former David Cameron advisor, Sir Craig Oliver, said there had been a U-turn.

"I think the government dipped its toe in the water and found it was scalding hot," he said.

"I think what you've seen since then is a managed retreat."

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "The Tories are in disarray following Amber Rudd's worrying statement last week, contradicting each other as their policy falls apart at the seams.

"The Tories' anti-foreigner agenda is a distraction from their own complete failures of policy, and against the best interests of society.

"Many sectors risk collapse if the Tories press ahead with these plans on overseas workers: the City, farmers, the NHS, construction."