Ian Austin MP tells Home Secretary Amber Rudd: Stop migrants taking British jobs
The Government must clamp down on low skilled immigrants taking the jobs of unemployed British people, according to a Black Country MP.
Ian Austin says the availability of cheap overseas workers is undercutting wages and preventing young British workers from getting a foothold on the employment ladder.
In a startling intervention at Home Office Questions, the outspoken Dudley North MP called on Amber Rudd to acknowledge the impact of low-skilled migration on different communities across the country.
"There's no point London politicians lecturing people in places like the Black Country with national statistics because this has different impacts in different communities," he said.
"Why are low-skilled migrants still coming here when we have hundreds of thousands of unemployed people in Britain?
"Why have the Government not stopped companies from just advertising jobs abroad or using workers from overseas to undercut wages here? And why do the Government not require large firms to train up local apprentices if they do have to hire someone from abroad?"
In response the Home Secretary said Mr Austin's comments were 'a little rich' as Labour had failed to control immigration when it was in power.
"There are no lectures coming from my party—only hard answers," she added. "The answer is that we will be restricting immigration when we move to leaving the EU."
Mr Austin is one of the few Labour MPs to address the issue of uncontrolled immigration.
He has set out a range of measures to manage the impact of low-skilled migration, including stopping companies from only advertising jobs abroad and requiring large firms to train up local apprentices.
He recently came under attack from shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, who accused Labour MPs that discussed immigration of trying to outdo UKIP.
He added: "I've listened to local people and these are policies that they support – unfortunately the Home Secretary sneered at me for asking about immigration instead of answering local concerns."
He added: "I will continue to raise the issue, whether London politicians want to hear it or not."
