Labour campaigners have accused Tory health spokesman Andrew Lansley of hypocrisy after the Conservatives unveiled their plans for immigration HIV and TB checks yesterday.

The opposition's announcement was undermined by the revelation that Lansley said the tests were "unnecessary and unethical" only six months ago.

Alan Milburn, Labour's election co-ordinator, said: "The Tories' tough talk on immigration and asylum is fatally undermined by their plans to halve the budget for immigration control and their refusal to support ID cards that stop health tourism."

Unions said the Tories were moving into BNP territory after detailing their plans.

Kevin Curran, the general secretary of the GMB, said: "That is the sort of outrageous message I would expect to hear from the BNP, not a supposedly mainstream party. It's time to accept our public services and economy will rely on migrant labour in years to come."