Jenrick: Employers should pay levy to hire foreigners

Robert Jenrick has revealed that Reform would tear up a key part of the UK’s deal with the EU over Brexit – forcing EU citizens who have lived in Britain for years to potentially lose their jobs and be forced to leave the country.

- DAVID MADDOX

The Reform UK MP said companies which employ foreign workers would have to pay higher national insurance, as well as a “migrant labour levy”, under a Nigel Farage government. Mr Jenrick admitted his plans to prioritise British workers would mean EU citizens who were given settled status in the UK after Brexit would not be counted as “British workers”.

It comes as demarcation lines over Brexit are being redrawn 10 years after the EU referendum and ahead of Thursday’s crucial Makerfield by-election, where Andy Burnham is hoping to make a return to Westminster.

With Sir Keir Starmer pushing to put the UK back into the heart of Europe - and leading Labour figures such as Wes Streeting calling for a strategy to rejoin the bloc - Reform is using the Brexit status to rewrite immigration rules in a “British workers first” strategy.

If Reform had the chance to carry out this policy, it would mean the deal with the EU would collapse - leading to a potential trade war and new tariffs.

Monique Hawkins, acting chief executive of The 3 Million, which represents EU citizens with settled status, said: “The proposals announced by Reform UK make a mockery of the promises that EU citizens were given when the UK left the European Union.