London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Mar 08, 2026

UK must train own workers to curb migration - Braverman

UK must train own workers to curb migration - Braverman

Suella Braverman says there is "no good reason" the UK cannot train its own lorry drivers and fruit pickers to bring immigration down.
The home secretary will argue that it is "not racist" to want to control borders, in a speech later.

The Conservatives were elected on a promise to cut net migration - the difference between those entering and leaving the UK - to below 100,000.

But it is expected to hit a record 700,000 this year.

Ms Braverman's speech is being seen by some as a warning shot to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to focus more on cutting immigration, although Downing Street says her words were cleared with them.

Some senior Conservatives believe more immigration is needed in the short-term to boost economic growth.

Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston told Times Radio "every now and again we also need more people to come into the country," but the "key thing" was to have 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 added.

The horticulture industry has suffered labour shortages since the UK left the EU, which was made worse by the pandemic.

A campaign to recruit more UK-based workers for seasonal farm roles was scrapped in 2021 after a relatively small number of people signed up to it.

Speaking later at a conference organised by a US-based right-wing campaign group, in London, Ms Braverman will say we must not "forget how to do things for ourselves".

"There is no good reason why we can't train up enough HGV drivers, butchers or fruit pickers."

Visa rules have been relaxed or adjusted in some sectors in recent years to tackle worker shortages.

The home secretary will tell the National Conservatism conference Brexit enables a high-skilled, high wage economy to be built "that is less dependent on low-skilled foreign labour".

The net migration figure for 2022, due to be released next week, is estimated to be at least 700,000 - according to analysis by the centre-right think tank the Centre for Policy Studies.

This would be a record high, driven in part by the Ukraine resettlement scheme, but mostly by an increase in people coming to the UK to work and study from outside the EU.

Ms Braverman first became home secretary in September 2022, so will arguably have largely inherited the set of migration figures due out later this month.

By making this speech now she is, in effect, getting her pitch in first before those numbers are released.

Ms Braverman is also expected to use the speech to argue it is "not racist" to want to control Britain's borders and she is not embarrassed to say she loves Britain.

"It's not xenophobic to say that mass and rapid migration is unsustainable in terms of housing supply, service and community relations."

Senior ministers, Tory MPs and right-wing commentators will gather at the three-day event in London, including Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lord Frost.

Ms Braverman will also say: "I reject the left's argument that it is hypocritical for someone from an ethnic minority to know these facts; to speak these truths."

Reports that Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had been involved in "watering down" proposals to restrict dependents of students have been rejected by a source at the Department of Education.

The source said Ms Keegan had vocally supported the "benefits of international students" and suggested others in government had done the same.

The Times has also reported that Ms Keegan blocked plans to reduce the time foreign students can stay in the UK after finishing their course.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Dentists Returned £1.3 Billion to Government as Shift Toward Private Care Accelerates
Expert Warns UK Must Build Emergency Food Stockpiles to Prepare for Climate Shocks or War
UK Plans Charter Flight to Evacuate British Nationals from Gulf as Regional Conflict Disrupts Air Travel
Families of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Fighters Call on Britain to Help Locate Skulls Taken During Colonial War
Iran’s Ambassador Warns Britain to ‘Be Very Careful’ Over Deeper Role in Expanding Middle East War
UK Military Leadership Defends Britain’s Defensive Role in Expanding Middle East Conflict
Four U.S. Strategic Bombers Arrive in Britain as Iran War Intensifies
Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies After Violent Attack in High-Security Prison
UK Lawmakers and Experts Condemn Scale of Overseas Human Remains Held in British Museums
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Placed on Standby for Potential Deployment
United Kingdom Confirms U.S. Military Using British Bases for Operations Targeting Iranian Missile Sites
Starmer Defends UK Role in Iran Conflict After Renewed Criticism from President Trump
Blue Owl Reveals £36 Million Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender Serving Wealthy Clients
UK Asylum Reform Plan Triggers Fierce Debate Over Border Control and Humanitarian Impact
US Stealth Bombers Head to UK Base as Trump Issues Stark Warning to Iran
UK Deputy Prime Minister Says Legal Case Could Exist for British Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites
Investigators Link Mysterious Parcel Fires Across Europe to Russian Intelligence Operation
Debate Intensifies Over Britain’s Legal Justification for US Military Operations Launched From UK Bases
Britain Faces Heightened Energy Price Risks as Iran-Linked Tensions Threaten Global Oil and Gas Supplies
British Counter-Terror Police Arrest Four Suspected of Spying on Jewish Community for Iran
Axel Springer Agrees $770 Million Deal to Acquire Britain’s Daily Telegraph
Iceland Supermarket Drops Trademark Challenge Against Icelandic Government in Long-Running Naming Dispute
UK Defence Secretary Visits Cyprus Following Scrutiny of Britain’s Response to Drone Attacks
Questions Grow Over Britain’s Military Readiness as Response to Iran Conflict Draws Scrutiny
UK Offers Failed Asylum Seeker Families Up to Forty Thousand Pounds to Leave Voluntarily
Saharan Dust Could Bring ‘Blood Rain’ to Parts of the UK as Weather Systems Shift
UK Deploys Additional Typhoon Fighter Jets to Qatar and Helicopters to Cyprus Amid Rising Middle East Tensions
Experts Urge Britain to Accelerate Renewable Energy Push as Global Conflicts Drive Up Costs
British Public Shows Strong Reluctance to Join Wider War in Iran
First UK Evacuation Flight Departs Middle East After Lengthy Delay
United Kingdom Imposes New Visa Requirements on Travelers from St. Lucia and Nicaragua
Iran Conflict Strains U.S.–U.K. Alliance as Trump and Starmer Clash Over Military Strategy
UK Interest Rates Could Rise Above Four Percent Again if Energy Shock Continues, Think Tank Warns
Starmer Defends Britain’s Iran Strategy as Badenoch Urges Stronger Military Support
Labour MP Says She Saw No Sign Husband Broke Law After Arrest in China Espionage Investigation
UK Jobless Rate Overtakes Italy’s for First Time in Years as Labour Market Weakens
United Kingdom Suspends Student Visas for Four Countries in Unprecedented Immigration Move
Campaigners Warn UK Student Visa Ban Could Push Migrants Toward Dangerous Channel Crossings
First U.K. Charter Flight for Stranded Nationals Set to Depart Oman Amid Middle East Crisis
France and United Kingdom Deploy Warships to Eastern Mediterranean as Middle East Conflict Escalates
U.K. Arrests Three Men Including Lawmaker’s Partner in Suspected China Espionage Investigation
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
×