A Parliamentary Question on wage increases following Brexit


DWP_3262_AWYesterday, I asked the Immigration Minister a Parliamentary Question on the positive effect that Brexit would have on wages:

Steve: The Government’s case rests on ignoring the arguments set out by my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions earlier this week, particularly in relation to people shuttling to and fro for a few months at a time. That is a problem that the Minister’s case would ignore by looking at the passenger service. If he will not listen to my right hon. Friend, will he at least listen to Lord Rose, the chairman of the pro-EU Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, who told the Treasury Committee that the wages of the lowest paid would rise if we left the EU and took control of migration?

Minister of State for Immigration (James Brokenshire MP): I point my hon. Friend not only to the contribution that those who arrive here make to our economy—it is a net contribution of around £2.5 billion—and how important it is for our economy, but to the steps that we are taking to reduce those artificial pull factors. We need to focus not just on those pressures in our local areas, but on how we get the right skills for our economy to ensure that we are giving young people in this country the best opportunity, which is precisely what our apprenticeships programme is all about.

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Comments & Responses

3 Responses so far.

  1. Jason says:

    The skills are already here but you consistently underpay them
    This is reason they will not work for you ! More & more construction workers are signing up to cis this means they will no longer work for agencies who charge the earth & pay peanuts. Would you do your job fro lower pay ? Because construction sector wages are lower now than 10 years ago.

  2. George Lees says:

    That 2.5bn takes no account of spending via DWP, i.e JSA, Education, NHS, defence or any other public services and infrastructure spending. If he said UK citizens make a net input (except for all the Gov spending) then we would not have a deficit. No one in the UK, outside the top 20%, is paying their way.

    Mr Brokenshire I am afraid fed you a deliberately misleading statistic. It is not a net contribution to anything. Also worth remembering that short term visitors (not in those stats) will earn below the PA of £10,600 so pay no tax at all. Details here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/522811/HMRC-Ad_Hoc_Stats_Release-EEA_Nationals_net_contribution_2013-2014.pdf

  3. George Lees says:

    Are you able to ask for a clarification or do a point of order to get it on the record how the Government is misusing data –