'Politics. Pandering. Scapegoating. This should be about people!'

Nursing union boss condemns plans to cut immigration, saying social care is 'so reliant' on overseas workers

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ONE of England's leading nurses has criticised Government plans to reduce immigration as 'pandering and scapegoating'.

Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), warned that the UK is 'so reliant' on overseas workers, particularly in social care.

She used her keynote speech at the union's annual congress to stress that staff from overseas are 'more than welcome in the United Kingdom'.

On Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer set out various measures aimed at reducing the number of people coming to the UK.

The White Paper includes plans to end care worker visas for overseas recruitment, as well as bringing in stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students, and a reduction in the amount of time graduates can spend in the UK after their studies.