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Cites Indian software developers, JLR in bid to convince industry of Brexit deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May continued to defy her critics as she reached out to businesses, with an attempt to focus on her vision for the post-Brexit immigration regime. EU nationals, regardless of skill level, could no longer “jump the queue ahead of… software developers from Delhi”, she said. The end to free movement is an aspect of the withdrawal deal that Ms. May has sought to focus on. The agreement she reached with EU leaders has sparked several ministerial resignations and led to members of her party submitting letters of no-confidence in her.
Accessing skills base
While immigration concerns were seen as one of the catalysts of the Brexit vote, industry has voiced its concerns, particularly about the ability for it to access the skills base it needed. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), while welcoming the progress that had been made in the deal overall, cautioned about the government’s vision for post-Brexit immigration policy. She warned that a policy focused only on highly-skilled workers would lead to a skills shortage. “What has been proposed so far won’t work; the idea that anyone earning less than £30,000 can’t contribute to our economy, for instance. “The government may be listening to businesses when it comes to immigration, but they still aren’t hearing. A false choice between high and low-skilled workers would deny businesses, from house builders to health-care providers, the vital skills they need to succeed,” she added.
Tough situation
Her concerns were echoed by Surinder Arora, an Indian-origin businessman who founded the Arora Group of hotels, who raised concerns about the ability of businesses such as his to access the skills base he needed. The situation had been “tough” for businesses since the referendum, he said. He urged the Prime Minister not to forget all businesses, including the tourism and travel industry, during a question and answer session at the conference. However, Ms. May insisted her strategy of focussing on enabling access for highly-skilled workers was the strategy recommended by the independent Migration Advisory Committee. She suggested it was a time for businesses to step up their work too, including by helping to develop the skills base in the U.K. A summit is still set to take place this weekend in Brussels for EU leaders to formalise the deal that has the official backing of the British Cabinet. EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier appealed for calm on Monday to ensure that Britain could lead the EU in “an orderly manner”. While businesses have been critical of the government’s post-Brexit immigration policy, they have welcomed the clarity, including on arrangement for the smooth flow of goods between the U.K. and the EU, an aspect that Ms. May also focussed on in her attempt to reach beyond parliamentarians and sell the deal to business leaders and the public.
‘A deal for all’
Pointing to automakers such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Nissan and others that relied on “just in time supply chains” and supported tens of thousands of jobs directly and indirectly in the country, she said the proposed deal would “work for all of them and sustain the livelihoods they provide to working people across the country”. The auto industry has been cautious in its response to the withdrawal agreement, saying it was a positive step to avert the “devastating consequences” of a no-deal Brexit. “For the automotive industry, Brexit is about damage limitation,” said the industry body SMMT. “Truly frictionless trade is the only way to ensure the industry’s future success and this should be the objective of all parties as we move into negotiating the permanent U.K.-EU relationship.”
