First Minister voices concerns over Starmer’s new immigration measures
Emily Price
First Minister Eluned Morgan has voiced concerns about Wales’ care sector whilst being quizzed by opposition party leaders about Sir Keir Starmer’s new immigration measures.
During questions to the FM on Tuesday (May 13), Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar pressed Baroness Morgan to say whether she was supportive of the Prime Minister’s plan to tighten up every area of the immigration system.
Sir Keir has faced a backlash for the language he used to announce the plans on Monday (May 12), including his claim the UK risks becoming an “island of strangers” if ministers do not act on migration.
This characterisation has drawn comparisons with Enoch Powell’s infamous “rivers of blood” speech.
‘Divisive’
The First Minister told Mr Millar that “Wales is a welcoming nation” and that she wouldn’t be “drawn into a debate where people are using divisive language when it comes to immigration.”
The leader of the Senedd Tories warned that “excessive numbers of people” were coming to Wales who can’t speak English and fail to integrate into local communities.
Baroness Morgan argued that levels of immigration in Wales are “quite low – 7%” and that those people are making “a huge contribution” to public services.
She said: “You are more likely to be treated by a doctor from overseas than being stopped in the queue by somebody from overseas in Wales.”
The UK Government’s new White Paper includes plans to end care worker visas for overseas recruitment.
There are also proposals to bring in stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the amount of time graduates can spend in the UK after their studies.
‘Challenges’
But the Welsh Labour leader warned the Senedd that the new measures would need to be “carefully worked through” because they could create more challenges in Wales’ care sector.
She said: “I am extremely concerned about our ability to recruit to the care sector as it is at the moment.
“People need to recognise that there is a direct knock on affect on hospital waits and how long people have to wait in emergency departments because of the fragility of the care sector.
“We are proud in Wales that we pay the real living wage to our care workers whether they are from here, or from abroad – but they are making a valuable contribution to our communities.”
Mr Millar called on the FM to petition the UK Government to further “toughen up” Starmer’s new immigration measures.
He said: “The people of Wales expect their First Minister to reflect their priorities. They want immigration down, they want foreign criminals gone, and they do not want their hard-earned taxes lining the pockets of immigration lawyers who are greedy and who undermine our borders and our security.”
‘Dog whistle’
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorweth accused the Tory Senedd leader of “comfortably repeating” Starmer’s language of division which “targeted care workers” in a “bid to out Reform, Reform” in yet another “Labour lurch to the right”.
He said: “The general secretary of Unison was spot-on on Sunday saying that the NHS and the care sector would have collapsed long ago without the thousands of workers who have come to the UK from overseas.
“Age UK agrees that overseas staff have been keeping many services afloat and says care homes could close because of this piling yet more pressure on the NHS.
“The Welsh Government’s own website refers to the benefits of international recruitment as part of the mix, but now her party leader, the Prime Minister, wants to undermine that for political reasons, even adopting the language of division.”
Plaid’s leader called on Baroness Morgan to distance herself from the “dog whistle” language used by Keir Starmer.
The First Minister replied: “I’m not going to use device of language when it comes to immigration. That is not the value that we have in Welsh Labour.
“But what I can say is that we are committed to making sure the at we do our very best to ensure we can provide a care service in Wales.
“That will be more difficult if it is not possible to recruit people from abroad.”
Baroness Morgan added that if the UK Government’s plan included “a whole load of extra cash” for the Welsh Government then it may make it easier to recruit care workers locally.
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Thank you, FM, for speaking up against racism.
Starmer’s claim that the UK risks becoming an island of strangers is ludicrous. The UK is not an island. It contains many islands + an enclave of 6 counties in Ireland. Moreover, except for a few hundred friends and acquaintances, the people of the UK are already strangers to me – likewise for other people in the UK.
Again Eluned, it’s a bit too late. Closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. Your master in London Enoch Starmer is trying to stave off Reform UK by using devising language. But as usual will not take an responsibility if his words embolden extremists to attack asylum seekers. Sadly this is very language spewed not only by Enoch Powell but the likes of Nick Griffin, Tommy Robinson and the far-right English Defense League that was responsible with others for the riots in Northern England after those little girls were murdered. Rioters where whipped up by those on social… Read more »
Guilty as charged Y Cymro, his only plea is ignorance and stupidity aided by bad advice from Morgan O’Cork. He is totally compromised and should recuse himself…
But lets face it he is just one more aspect of the Fat Shanks Effect…
If the NHS and care sector would collapse without hiring foreigners then maybe it is time we expanded training here rather than poaching staff from poorer countries who have invested in training their people.
Just because we cannot plan ahead and invest in our own people, shouldn’t mean that poorer countries should pick up the tab for training additional people to make up for our short-sightedness.