Tories demand Rishi Sunak ignores ‘guilt-ridden bourgeois liberals’ and slashes immigration at fiery PMQs – with Labour vowing to outflank ministers by ditching low-wage visas for ballet dancers and ‘arts officers’
Rishi Sunak dodged today as Tories urged him to ignore ‘guilt-ridden bourgeois liberals’ and slash immigration.
At a fiery PMQs, Mr Sunak was confronted by one of his own MPs who demanded ‘urgent’ action to deal with ‘catastrophic’ inflows.
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer tried to outflank ministers by vowing to crack down on low-wage visas.
But Mr Sunak ducked making any commitments, merely insisting the government will ‘be bringing forward measures on top of the very significant restrictions that we’ve already announced’.
Tensions are growing the Cabinet and wider Conservative Party over how to tackle legal migration, after it emerged the net figure had hit a new record of 745,000 a year.
The Home Office is looking at recommendations from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to ditch the shortage occupation list.
The mechanism means employers can hire foreign workers to do the roles on the list at 20 per cent below the going rate in their industry.
But the system has been widely criticised for being too generous, covering ballet dancers and ‘arts officers’ alongside jobs such as care worker, engineer and bricklayer.
At a fiery PMQs, Rishi Sunak (left) was confronted by ex-minister John Hayes (right) who demanded ‘urgent’ action to deal with ‘catastrophic’ inflows
There is frantic wrangling in Cabinet over how to cut net migration, after it hit an eye-watering new record of 745,000 a year
A Home Office source told MailOnline that James Cleverly (pictured) is reviewing the idea of scrapping the shortage occupation list but has ‘not fixed on it or rejected it’.
A Home Office source told MailOnline that the idea was ‘not new’ and ‘no options have been ruled in or out’. Mr Cleverly is reviewing previous work and has ‘not fixed on it or rejected it’.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who has been pushing for drastic action, signalled he wants a hard cap on numbers as he was grilled by MPs yesterday.
He has apparently drawn up a five-point plan including nearly doubling the minimum wage threshold for getting a standard worker visa to £40,000.
But Mr Sunak and Mr Cleverly have been striking a softer tone amid concerns about the economic impact, pointing out that numbers already seem to be easing.
At PMQs, former minister John Hayes said: ‘The 1.3million migrants over a period of two years is a catastrophe for Britain. It is obvious to everyone apart from guilt-ridden bourgeois liberals and greed-driven globalists.
‘So, given that those same kind of people are stymieing the Prime Minister’s stop-the-boats campaign, will he bring urgent measures forward to deal with legal migration?
‘And in terms of the Bill that he has promised, will he ensure it is exactly in the form recommended by his own immigration minister?’
Mr Sunak responded: ‘We are reviewing the recommendations of the MAC and we’ll be bringing forward measures on top of the very significant restrictions that we’ve already announced on student dependants.
‘When it comes to stopping illegal migration I’ve been crystal clear, we will bring forward legislation that makes it unequivocally the case that Rwanda is safe and there will be no more ability of our domestic courts to block flights to Rwanda.’
Sir Keir said Labour would end the ‘absurd’ policy that those from overseas receive lower wages for the same jobs.
He told the Commons: ‘Under this Government, a bricklayer from overseas can be paid £2,500 less than somebody who is already here. A plasterer, £3,000 less. An engineer, £6,000 less. The list goes on, it’s absurd.
‘Labour would scrap his perverse wage cutting policy, why won’t he?’
Sir Keir said that the government was in ‘open revolt’ and the PM had a ‘reverse Midas touch’.
But Mr Sunak hit back that he had taken the ‘toughest action ever taken to reduce legal migration’ by restricting undergraduate students from bringing dependants.
‘Let me be crystal clear, the levels of migration are far too high and I am determined to bring them back down to sustainable levels,’ he said.
‘That’s why we have asked the Migration Advisory Council to review certain elements of the system. We’re reviewing those findings and will bring forward next steps.
‘But earlier this year we announced the toughest action ever taken to reduce legal migration.
‘The effects of that action are yet to be felt, but will impact 150,000 student dependants and forecasts show that migration is likely to drop as a result.’
He said Labour would do a ‘secret backroom deal with the EU that would see an additional 100,000 migrants here every year’.
Mr Jenrick told the Commons yesterday the ‘time for tinkering is over’ and warned that the public were ‘sick of talk’ from politicians as he faced questions on the Government’s plan to address all-time-high levels of net migration.
‘We are going to bring forward a serious package of fundamental reforms to address this issue once and for all,’ he said.
‘The time for tinkering is over. There are definitely strong arguments for using caps, whether in general or on specific visas, but these are conversations that we need to conclude within Government.’
Mr Jenrick added that there was also a strong argument in favour of restricting the number of dependants who can be brought to the UK by foreign workers and other migrants.
Keir Starmer said Labour would end the ‘absurd’ policy that those from overseas can come to do jobs on wages that are below industry standards
He said current levels were ‘unsustainable’ because of the strain they put on public services, including the NHS and school places.
Mr Jenrick claimed migration is also placing ‘unbearable pressure’ on housing and ‘community cohesion’ making ‘successful integration virtually impossible’.
The minister told MPs the health and social care visa – which saw a 135 per cent leap to 144,000 in the year to September – was ‘not working as well as even its proponents would have wished’.
He added the ‘key is to encourage the sector to pay better, improve conditions, improve productivity and skills’ so they can fill vacancies with British-based workers rather than go overseas. MPs from the Right of the Conservative Party – including members of the Common Sense Group – are pressing for ‘radical’ new policies by the end of the year.
Sacked home secretary Suella Braverman has claimed Mr Sunak reneged on an agreement to cut legal migration levels, including a proposal to raise the salary threshold for migrant workers from £26,200 to £40,000.
A Home Office source told MailOnline that James Cleverly (pictured) is reviewing the idea of scrapping the shortage occupation list but has ‘not fixed on it or rejected it’.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who has been pushing for drastic action, signalled he wants a hard cap on numbers as he was grilled by MPs yesterday
Asked if will unveil a package of reforms by Christmas, Mr Jenrick appeared to make a dig at the Prime Minister as he replied: ‘My plan would have been brought to the House before last Christmas if I could’ve done.’
It is understood plans for migration reform have been put forward to Downing Street, which is yet to make a decision.
Sources said the PM is focused on reforms related to the Rwanda scheme before he will consider changes to legal migration.
It came as ex-Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg warned that mass migration could lead to Conservative defeat at the next general election. The former business secretary said the Government had ‘let down’ the electorate by allowing net migration to spiral to record levels.
He said: ‘Net migration stands at 672,000 for 2023, and this when we have a Government that promised to get the numbers down into the tens of thousands.’
Sir Jacob claimed Mr Sunak appeared to be advocating higher levels on immigration on Monday when he told entrepreneurs the ‘most competitive visa regime for highly skilled international talent is right here in the United Kingdom’.
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