Immigration and the UK’s post-Brexit economy | Letters

David Reed says deterring EU migrants could benefit British workers but devastate the economy; Emma Gee says the contribution of non-EU immigrants to the UK coffers should not be overlooked; while Stephen Games writes that morally it is low-skilled foreign workers whom the UK should encourage to come

The immigration strategy discussed in the leaked Home Office document could be as beneficial to British workers as the Black Death (Revealed: Tories' Brexit plan to deter EU migrants from Britain, 6 September). My limited historical knowledge tells me that when the working population was decimated as the bubonic plague spread throughout Britain (and Europe), employers suddenly had to start treating the people working for them decently, even paying them enough to live on.

Of course, the document fails to address the impact their proposals will have on every area of economic activity across the whole country: no more cheap crop harvesters, nurses, carers, shop assistants, road cleaners, office workers, taxi and bus drivers etc. Nor does it even think about the massive impact that having to pay people real wages will have on business finances across the whole economy.

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