Michael Fallon was right to speak out about immigration, despite controversy over his choice of words, says former home secretary David Blunkett.
The Defence Secretary caused an outcry at the weekend when he told Sky News some towns were "under siege", as he dismissed German opposition to changing EU rules on free movement.
He also said "whole towns" could be "swamped by huge numbers of migrant workers".
He later backtracked on his comments, saying the "swamped" remark was a "bit careless" - but Mr Blunkett said he was right to "voice the concerns of ordinary voters".
"Just because immigration is deeply controversial, that cannot mean that we should avoid talking about it," he wrote in the Daily Mail.
Mr Fallon said in the interview on Sky's Murnaghan programme: "The Germans haven't seen our proposal yet, and we haven't seen our proposal yet.
"That is still being worked on at the moment to see what we can do to prevent whole towns and communities being swamped by huge numbers of migrant workers.
"In some areas, particularly on the east coast, yes, towns do feel under siege from large numbers of migrant workers and people claiming benefits. It is quite right that we look at that."
Mr Blunkett, who also created headlines when he used the word "swamped" to describe the impact of asylum seekers during his time in the cabinet, said the issued should not be shied away from.
"Yet for all such condemnation, I believe that both Michael Fallon and I were right to speak out on this issue and voice the concerns of ordinary voters," writes the Labour MP.
He adds that trying to turn immigration into a "taboo subject" will "play into UKIP's hands".
UKIP leader Nigel Farage reacted to Mr Fallon's comments by saying it was too late to acknowledge the problem and claimed the Conservatives were panicking.
Mr Blunkett rounded on the party's response, saying they were guilty of an "audacious piece of hypocrisy".
"Claiming they would never use the word 'swamped', they had the cheek to describe Michael Fallon's language - and, by extension, my own in 2002 - as 'inflammatory'," he said.
"The hypocrisy would be laughable if it were not so offensive.
"UKIP's entire political stance is inflammatory, since it is based on stoking up divisions. They are the masters of scare-mongering and scapegoating.
"The greatest antidote to the party's bluster is frank, rational discussion, where voters are treated with maturity," he added.
While Britons have proven to be "remarkably tolerant" about the impact of mass immigration and acknowledge the "vast majority" of migrants have a positive impact, "it is foolish to deny some of the problems associated with immigration", Mr Blunkett warned.
"What will not work is shouting down any politician who dares to engage with the British public's concerns. The issue is far too serious for such posturing," he concludes.
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