London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jan 30, 2026

We must wean economy off immigration, Labour leader to warn businesses

We must wean economy off immigration, Labour leader to warn businesses

The days of "cheap labour" must end to wean the UK off its "immigration dependency", Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will tell business leaders.

Sir Keir will call for a plan to train British workers and move the economy away from its "low-pay model".

But he will accept the need for skilled foreign workers and promise a "pragmatic" approach to immigration.

His speech comes at a time when businesses are calling for more migrant labour to boost economic growth.

The Labour leader's speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in Birmingham will follow that of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday.

Mr Sunak told business leaders having "proper control of our borders" was one of the immediate benefits of Brexit and said curbing illegal migration was the "country's number one priority right now".

He spoke after CBI director-general Tony Danker said the UK needed more foreign workers to drive economic growth as the country faces a deep recession.

"People are arguing against immigration - but it's the only thing that has increased our growth potential since March," Mr Danker said.

There was considerably less migration during the Covid-19 pandemic than in previous years and the number of EU citizens moving to the UK has dropped since the UK left the European Union.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecasted a decline in net migration, with the number expected to settle at 205,000 a year from 2026 onwards.

In his speech, Sir Keir will set out what the UK's immigration policy would look like under a Labour government, should the party win the next general election.

He will promise an immigration system that works better for the needs of business and recognises the need for skilled workers from abroad.

But he will stress that any changes to a points-based migration system "will come with new conditions for business".

"We will expect you to bring forward a clear plan for higher skills and more training, for better pay and conditions, for investment in new technology," he is expected to say.

"But our common goal must be to help the British economy off its immigration dependency. To start investing more in training up workers who are already here."

Sir Keir will outline Labour's plans for reform, which include:

*  Ensuring all employers able to sponsor visas are meeting decent standards of pay and conditions

*  Speed up visa delays to avoid labour shortages damaging the economy

*  Introduce training and plans for improving pay and conditions for roles that require international recruitment

*  Reforming the migration advisory committee to project future trends more accurately

Sir Keir spoke about immigration in an interview with the BBC last week, saying the UK was recruiting too many people from overseas into the NHS.

The rise of legal migration to the UK was one of the most prominent political issues in the country ahead of the EU referendum in 2016.

Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron once promised to get immigration down to the tens of thousands a year.

Net migration - the difference between people coming to the UK and those leaving - has been over 200,000 since the late 1990s.

Asked how Labour's policy differed from that of the Conservatives, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said his party would demand businesses implement better pay and conditions, particularly in the care sector.

He also said Labour would introduce flexibility to the apprenticeship levy, so companies could spend the money on other forms of training.

Under Sir Keir's leadership, Labour has ruled out a return to the EU single market, which guarantees citizens of member states the freedom to live and work anywhere in the bloc.

Labour's policy on Brexit has divided the party, with some calling for a much closer relationship with the EU on different terms.

Sir Keir's speech comes as Mr Sunak denied that ministers could look to realign the UK with EU laws.

Some Tories have been angered by suggestions the government was weighing up a Swiss-style relationship with the EU.

But the prime minister told the CBI conference on Monday that the UK "will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws".


Brexit is "already delivering” benefits and opportunities for the UK, the prime minister says.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Wall Street Bets on Strong US Growth and Currency Moves as Dollar Slips After Trump Comments
UK Prime Minister Traveled to China Using Temporary Phones and Laptops to Limit Espionage Risks
Google’s $68 Million Voice Assistant Settlement Exposes Incentives That Reward Over-Collection
Kim Kardashian Admits Faking Paparazzi Visit to Britney Spears for Fame in Early 2000s
UPS to Cut 30,000 More Jobs by 2026 Amid Shift to High-Margin Deliveries
France Plans to Replace Teams and Zoom Across Government With Homegrown Visio by 2027
Trump Removes Minneapolis Deportation Operation Commander After Fatal Shooting of Protester
Iran’s Elite Wealth Abroad and Sanctions Leakage: How Offshore Luxury Sustains Regime Resilience
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Four Arrested in Andhra Pradesh Over Alleged HIV-Contaminated Injection Attack on Doctor
Hot Drinks, Hidden Particles: How Disposable Cups Quietly Increase Microplastic Exposure
UK Banks Pledge £11 Billion Lending Package to Help Firms Expand Overseas
Suella Braverman Defects to Reform UK, Accusing Conservatives of Betrayal on Core Policies
Melania Trump Documentary Sees Limited Box Office Traction in UK Cinemas
Meta and EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Non-Consensual Public Recording Economy
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
U.S. winter storm triggers 13,000-plus flight cancellations and 160,000 power outages
Poland delays euro adoption as Domański cites $1tn economy and zloty advantage
White House: Trump warns Canada of 100% tariff if Carney finalizes China trade deal
PLA opens CMC probe of Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli over Xi authority and discipline violations
ICE and DHS immigration raids in Minneapolis: the use-of-force accountability crisis in mass deportation enforcement
UK’s Starmer and Trump Agree on Urgent Need to Bolster Arctic Security
Starmer Breaks Diplomatic Restraint With Firm Rebuke of Trump, Seizing Chance to Advocate for Europe
UK Finance Minister Reeves to Join Starmer on China Visit to Bolster Trade and Economic Ties
Prince Harry Says Sacrifices of NATO Forces in Afghanistan Deserve ‘Respect’ After Trump Remarks
Barron Trump Emerges as Key Remote Witness in UK Assault and Rape Trial
×