Starmer pledges to reduce net migration and dependency on overseas workers

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will tell the Labour conference he does not believe some industries should be able to rely on migrant workers.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during an In Conversation event during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Sir Keir Starmer will promise to bring down net migration, saying he was not “relaxed” about some industries relying on overseas workers.

The Prime Minister will set out measures to cut over-reliance on migrant labour and boost training in the UK to fill vacancies so that “net migration will fall”.

He will set out measures to ensure visa policies are linked to skills and labour market needs, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems.

I have never thought we should be relaxed about some sectors importing labour when there are millions of young people, ambitious and highly talented, who are desperate to work and contribute

Sir Keir Starmer

Under the plan set out by the Prime Minister, the Migration Advisory Committee will proactively highlight key sectors where labour market failures have led to soaring overseas recruitment and provide an annual assessment to ministers.

The Government will also change the rules around migrant sponsorship to ensure employers guilty of flouting employment laws are banned from hiring from abroad and continue to clamp down on existing sponsors to make sure they comply with their obligations.

The Prime Minister is expected to say: “It is the policy of this Government to reduce both net migration and our economic dependency on it.

“I have never thought we should be relaxed about some sectors importing labour when there are millions of young people, ambitious and highly talented, who are desperate to work and contribute.”