UK government under growing pressure to seal off labour market

UK home secretary John Reid is under growing pressure to restrict access for workers from Bulgaria and Romania, when the two countries join the EU next year.

When the EU enlarged last time in 2004, the UK together with Sweden and Ireland granted immediate and free access to workers from the new member state's workers.

But the UK government hugely miscalculated the number of workers that took the opportunity to come and work in Britain. It had expected up to 13,000 workers a year ...