KEN Clarke has warned David Cameron not to pander to "ignorance and bigotry" on Europe as he suggested some Tory MPs should join Ukip.

The Conservative former Chancellor, who served in the Cabinet until earlier this year, suggested there appeared to be "a wave of almost hysteria" about immigration.

"All the excitement is caused by right-wing people who want the Prime Minister to make a speech that makes it impossible to negotiate our continued membership. Well, ignore the daft ambitions of people whose main interest is just getting out of Europe. Let's look after Britain in the modern world," said the Nottinghamshire MP.

The Prime Minister and his colleagues have recently ramped up the rhetoric on Europe, with Mr Cameron last week saying he would have "one last go" at reform, implying that if he failed in his intended renegotiation on Britain's EU membership ahead of a promised in/out referendum, then he would campaign for the UK to leave.

Downing Street has confirmed the PM will make a speech before Christmas setting out his plans to curb EU immigration; one key question is whether or not it will take place before the November 20 by-election in Rochester, where Tory defector Mark Reckless is hoping to retake the seat for Ukip.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the outgoing President of the European Commission, has made clear he believes any suggestion of a cap on EU migrant workers coming to Britain would be illegal.

He said he believed the late Baroness Thatcher was a supporter of open labour markets and enlargement of the EU and would have been against "protectionism".

Douglas Alexander, for Labour, said Mr Clarke's comments showed just how far Mr Cameron had been "pushed by his own backbenchers when it comes to Europe".