Businesses that break work visa rules will be banned from hiring employees from abroad under a new immigration plan, the Prime Minister announced on Tuesday.
Sir Keir Starmer told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that his government will reduce migration and Britain’s dependency on foreign workers.
The PM set out measures to ensure Home Office visa policies are linked to skills and market needs in a bid to prevent foreign labour being used as an alternative to investing in training for young Britons.
In the first party conference speech by a Labour PM in 15 years, Sir Keir vowed never to let a “minority of violent, racist thugs terrorise our communities” following riots across the country over the summer. He then promised to “get tough” on migration.
The Prime Minister told Labour’s annual conference: “And let me tell you something else I won’t let happen I will never let a minority of violent, racist thugs terrorise our communities.
“Look, I have always accepted concerns about immigration are legitimate.”
He drew some of his loudest applause before adding: “It is, as a point of fact the policy of this Government to reduce both net migration and our economic dependency upon it.
“I have never thought we should be relaxed about some sectors importing labour when there are millions of young people, ambitious and highly talented, who are desperate to work and contribute to their community.
“Trust me there are plenty of examples of apprenticeship starts going down at the very same time that visa applications for the same skills are going up and so we will get tough on this.”
British firms in a number of industries, including healthcare, IT and hospitality, have become increasingly reliant on foreign labour in recent years
But new rules around migrant sponsorship will be enforced to ensure employers guilty of flouting visa laws are banned from hiring from abroad, the PM will say.
The Government will continue to clampdown on existing sponsors to make sure they comply with their obligations, Sir Keir said.
Under the plan set out by the Prime Minister, the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will highlight sectors where labour market failures have led to soaring overseas recruitment and provide an annual assessment to ministers.
The independent body has already been asked to review the impact that foreign worker visa rules introduced by the previous Conservative government are having on Britain’s workforce.
These include those employed from abroad being prevented from bringing dependents to the UK and increasing the salary needed to obtain a permit.
During his conference speech, Sir Keir expressed his desire to create “a Britain built to last, built with respect and built with pride.”
“The politics of national renewal are collective,” he said.
“They involve a shared struggle. A project that says, to everyone, this will be tough in the short-term, but in the long-term – it’s the right thing to do for our country. And we all benefit from that.”
The PM added that the “short-term pain” of tough decisions will lead to “long-term gain” for the country but insist there is “light at the end of this tunnel.”
Since the party’s landslide election win three months ago, the Labour government has painted a bleak picture of the public finances, pointing to a £22billion “black hole” they claim was left by the Conservatives.
The government has also come under fire over the decision to cut winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners, while a row over donations to Sir Keir and other ministers has dominated the run-up to the conference.
But in his speech the PM sought to present a more positive vision for the future, saying “tough” decisions need to be taken now to “build a new Britain”.
