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A top Tory has attacked Jeremy Corbyn for wanting a migration impact fund - seconds before launching a migration impact fund.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd laid into the Labour leader for vowing the return of a cash pot axed by the Tories in 2010.

Labour's £35m Migration Impacts Fund was opened by Gordon Brown in 2009 and handed money to councils whose services were under strain.

Ms Rudd told the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham: "Jeremy Corbyn wants the Government to bring back a migration fund Gordon Brown introduced after Labour let immigration spiral out of control.

" Jeremy Corbynseems to think it’s a substitute for taking action to reduce immigration."

She claimed Labour's fund was "ineffective and focused funding on migrants rather than the pressures caused by migration."

She said: "If there’s one thing we don’t need, it’s policy advice from the man who almost bankrupted Britain - and the man that wants to do it all over again."

(Image: Rex)

However, she then instantly said she will push through the Tory manifesto's £140m Controlling Migration Fund.

Like Labour's fund, it will be paid to local councils which can then spend it themselves.

And it is "designed specifically to ease the pressures on public services in areas of high migration". That is like Labour's, which was "to assist local communities to manage the transitional impacts of migration on the provision of public services".

(Image: Christopher Furlong)

But Ms Rudd insisted her fund would be different because Labour's went to "translation services" and "promoting recycling".

Neither the Home Office nor the Conservative Party press office could immediately confirm how much was spent this way.

Labour's fund was weighted towards areas with the highest need, while the Tory fund will require councils to put in bids for cash.

She said the fund will be used to reduce illegal immigration and back councils' work to reduce fraudulent housing benefit, rough sleeping and rogue landlords.

She added: "For those that are here legally, we will provide more English language support.

(Image: Carl Court/Getty Images) (Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

"And with it, the obvious benefits of being able to join the way of life in the country they have chosen to call home."

In her hardline first speech as Home Secretary Ms Rudd announced a crackdown on illegal immigration and set out tough new measures to deport foreign criminals.

She reissued the pledge to get immigration numbers down to the tens of thousands - though she warned this "will not happen overnight".

And she announced universities may have to start justifying giving places to foreign students.

But not everyone was happy, as photos showed conference delegates appearing to nod off.

Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham said: "Amber Rudd is right to introduce a scheme to help communities address the pressures of migration, as Jeremy Corbyn called for last week".