London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

UK Home Secretary says Britain can train lorry drivers and fruit pickers to reduce immigration

UK Home Secretary says Britain can train lorry drivers and fruit pickers to reduce immigration

There is “no good reason” why the UK cannot train enough lorry drivers and fruit pickers among its own citizens to reduce immigration, Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the National Conservatism Conference on Monday.
Britain’s horticulture industry has complained of labor shortages since the country left the EU, a trend that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the BBC reported. The government responded by increasing the number of temporary visas for seasonal agricultural workers by 15,000 this year.

However, on the opening day of the three-day conference in London, Braverman told delegates that Brexit will allow the development of a high-skilled, high-wage economy “that is less dependent on low-skilled foreign labor.”

She argued it is “not racist” for a nation to want to control its own borders, and the UK must not “forget how to do things for ourselves.”

"There is no good reason why we can’t train up enough HGV (heavy goods vehicle) drivers, butchers or fruit pickers," she said.

Labour leader Keir Starmer condemned the home secretary for her comments.

Speaking during a during a meeting of Labour MPs and peers, he said: “When Suella Braverman says that British workers have forgotten how to do things for themselves, it’s nothing new. It’s how they (the Conservatives) respond to everything: Duck responsibility, blame everyone else.

“She’s told us their vision of the future of work in this country: Let them pick fruit. Well, our party will never have such low ambitions for working people.”

Starmer described the National Conservatism Conference, which was organized by a US-based right-wing group, as a “Mad Hatter’s tea party” attended by politicians who have a “national dislike of this country and its people, from north to south.”

According to the Centre for Policy Studies, the UK’s net migration figure for 2022, which will be revealed next week, is expected to be at least 700,000. Braverman has previously said her “ultimate aspiration” is to reduce the number to fewer than 100,000.

Some leading Conservatives believe that increased immigration is required in the short term to improve economic growth. Nigel Huddleston, the UK minister of state for international trade, told Times Radio that “every now and again we also need more people to come into the country” but the “key thing” is to maintain control.

“In the long term, we need immigration to come down because that’s what has been causing some challenges in local areas for a long period of time,” he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×