Reform UK’s Rupert Lowe has lashed out at “waves and waves of unskilled immigration” plaguing Britain’s labour market.
In last night’s special political programme on GB News, Decision Time: The Race to Lead, Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick had warned that the Tories’ approach to immigration had lost the party key votes at this summer’s election.
“It’s the reason that we lost four million of our people to Reform at the General Election – and millions more who decided to stay at home,” Jenrick said.
Mere minutes later, Lowe launched into a scathing attack on the “total tripe” line that Britain’s workforce, particularly the NHS, “would collapse without mass immigration”.
Writing on social media, the Great Yarmouth MP said: “Skilled migrants, who contribute and importantly INTEGRATE, should be welcomed where needed.
“With a proper plan to train and develop our own workforce – and the millions currently out of work – that need would lessen and lessen.
“Any targeted and controlled immigration must, above all else, provide benefits for our country. That is NOT happening, and hasn’t for decades.
“Quite frankly, we need to be selfish. The needs and the interests of the British people must be the top and only priority of the British Government – all else is entirely secondary.
“Skilled and decent professionals, when needed, from overseas should be actively poached.
“Waves and waves of unskilled immigration, which is a relentless drain on our economy? Sorry, but the answer is no. It’s not our problem.
“Our immigration system should be designed to benefit those who live here, not those who wish to live here.”
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Salmond’s body to return to Scotland this afternoon
Salmond had died in North Macedonia aged 69
PA
The body of ex-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond is set to return to his country this afternoon.
Salmond had died in North Macedonia aged 69 from a “massive” heart attack on Saturday.
Despite Sir David Davis, a friend of the independence firebrand, pushing for an RAF flight to bring him home, businessman Sir Tom Hunter stepped in to pay for a chartered flight to repatriate Salmond’s body.
Hunter said: “Whilst he and I disagreed on some of his ambitions, Alex Salmond devoted his life to Scotland and the Scottish people and as such he, and importantly his family, deserved the dignity and privacy of a private return to the home of his birth.
“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with his family at this time. To be clear, I remain resolutely apolitical.”
The flight is due to take off at about 11am, landing in Aberdeen at about 1.45pm.
The former SNP and Alba boss’s family, along with Alba’s acting leader Kenny MacAskill, will be there to receive the coffin, which will be taken by hearse to the family home.
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