A proposal has been made for a youth mobility scheme allowing under-30s to come to Britain from the EU and vice versa - and while ' political commentator Nigel Nelson welcomed the idea, former government advisor Claire Pearsall opposed it completely. had spoken of striking an "ambitious" post-Brexit deal, but sparks flew in the TV studio as the scheme was dismissed as a "logistical nightmare".

Fearing that some would refuse to return to their home countries after three-year stays and try to claim asylum, Claire argued that the immigration stats would soar as a result. The row came just moments after MP Andrew Griffith was challenged on the show over the Tories historically promising to reduce migration to "the tens of thousands" and then allowing it to soar to millions. Claire exclaimed: "This is just cosying up to the EU on an epic scale once again!"

She continued of the mobility scheme: "It just looks like it's opening through the back door a closer relationship and [creeping] closer to freedom of movement."

Then, seeing a contradiction, she added: "On the other hand you have saying she wouldn't like a return to free movement and that she doesn't want anything that remotely looks like it, so these two diametrically opposed things can't exist!"

Claire went on to warn: "If you're looking at a timescale of anything over 12 months for people to come into the UK, they will show up on net migration stats, which as we all know are increasing all the time and don't look very good!"

Nigel suggested that if Brits also move to EU destinations, then it could balance out the situation with a "one in, one out" approach.

"There is an enormous problem with people overstaying their visas and then claiming asylum," Claire contradicted.

"You're not going to solve the problem, you're going to make it worse!

"You're talking about opening this up to younger people from very different countries and they're going to suggest they can't go back," she insisted, adding: "You're not just looking at some French students coming over from Paris!"

The scheme, which Starmer has been urged to go ahead with by various Labour MPs, would see tens of thousands of young workers from the EU allowed to live and work in the UK for up to three years.

They would be banned from claiming benefits and would need to pay a NHS surcharge - but opposers have pointed out the high levels of youth unemployment in the UK, and have asked for the focus to be placed on getting those Brits back into work instead of filling jobs with workers from abroad.