Keir Starmer has accused the government of having “lost control of immigration”, as Labour announced a plan to change the post-Brexit migration system to boost skills and wages.
In a prime minister’s questions a day before new annual net migration statistics are expected to show a record number of arrivals, Starmer said Rishi Sunak had broken the Conservatives’ manifesto promise to reduce immigration.
In an announcement made as Starmer spoke, Labour said it would scrap a rule under which overseas staff brought into the UK to fill vacancies on the shortage occupation list, including health, IT and engineering workers, could be paid up to 20% less than the equivalent domestic wage.
The party said it would also seek to change the apprenticeship levy, whereby large organisations set aside 0.5% of their payroll for apprenticeships, but which has been criticised for the limited range of available training, meaning much of the money is never used.
Condemning what he called “the low-wage Tory economy”, Starmer used all of his PMQs questions to tackle Sunak on immigration, an issue on that Labour have traditionally been seen as politically vulnerable.
“How many work visas were issued to foreign nationals last year?” the Labour leader began, with Sunak pre-empting the expected rise in net migration by citing what he called “a set of unique circumstances”, including humanitarian arrivals from Ukraine and Hong Kong
Starmer went on: “The figures are out – it’s a quarter of a million work visas issued last year. He knows that answer, he just doesn’t want to give it, and the new numbers tomorrow are expected to be even higher.
“The prime minister stood on three Tory manifestos. Each one promised to reduce immigration – each promise broken.”
An often noisy session, in which the Conservative MP Paul Bristow was ejected form the Commons by the speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, Starmer also mocked Sunak over claims Suella Braverman, the home secretary, sought to enlist civil servants to help her with the aftermath of a speeding fine.
“Why does he think his home secretary seems to have such a problem coping with points-based systems?” Starmer asked at one point, adding: “The home secretary may need a speed awareness course – he needs a reality check.”
Sunak defended the government’s record, pointing to the announcement earlier in the week of a curb on the ability of overseas students in the UK to bring family members with them.
“Just this week we announced the biggest ever single measure to tackle illegal migration,” he said.
Starmer replied: “If anyone wants to see what uncontrolled immigration looks like, all they got to do is wake up tomorrow morning and listen to the headlines.
“The reason they are issuing so many visas is labour and skills shortages. And the reason there are shortages is the low-wage Tory economy. Under his government’s rules, businesses in IT, engineering, healthcare architecture and welding can pay foreign workers 20% less than British workers for years and years on end. Does he think his policy is encouraging businesses to train people here or hire from abroad?
“They’ve lost control of the economy. They’ve lost control of public services, and now they’ve lost control of immigration.”
Labour would, Starmer told MPs, “fix the apprenticeship levy, fill the skills gap and stop businesses from recruiting from abroad if they don’t pay properly.”
A subsequent Labour press release said the scrapping of the 20% wage rule would be part of an attempt to “put skills and fairness at the heart of a properly managed and controlled immigration system”.
The ability to pay a lower wage for overseas recruits in the long-term removed the incentive for firms to train UK workers, the party argued.