Be careful not to throw out the Baby!

The House of Lords’ Economic Affairs Committee report, “The Economic Impact of Immigration”, fails to recognise the constantly changing nature of the employment landscape and their Lordships’ would do well to engage more often with the recruitment industry if they ever want to preside over a strategy for staffing (and building) Britain’s long-term economic needs.

It was only a couple of years ago that this Government was considering working with the Asia-Pacific governments to stop the flow of nurses into the UK; as this practice was damaging their own ability to staff their health services (aka ‘the vein drain’), and here we are just a few years later watching a reversal of fortunes as some of our best young nurses are leaving these shores for health, wealth and efficiency Down Under.

What the Lords’ have to understand is that never again will labour be a national resource. Staffing is now a global issue and increasingly the workforce will pick up its tools and move to where the work is (Auf Weidersehen Pet like). If their Lordships’ turn their back on the economic benefits of strong immigration policies and forget to focus on the workforce requirements of, say East London, then there will be no tea and scones in the Corporate boxes of the Olympic venues; which are still to be built by a migrant workforce let alone start to look at the huge volume of low cost housing that the UK must deliver over the next ten years.

A migrant workforce is a flexible workforce (and I don't mean cheap)!

Gareth