THE new Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw has described Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit immigration plans as a “work in progress”, after reports emerged the Scottish Tories are “livid” about them.
“We need a migration system appropriate to Scotland’s needs and our demographics and economy,” the Scottish Tory leader said, challenging the UK wide proposals unveiled on Wednesday.
Business leaders across Scotland warn the change to a points system in 2021 will dramatically shrink the pool of available workers.
The care home, farming, fishing and hospitality sectors all warned it would harm them, particularly in rural areas which already struggle with labour shortages.
READ MORE: SNP blast Tory visa plan rejection as another 'broken promise'
Nicola Sturgeon also said it would have a devastating impact on the wider economy, given Scotland’s reliance on inward migration to maintain its working age tax base.
The First Minister last month proposed creating a Scottish visa as an alternative to a UK-wide system, but the Home Office dismissed it out of hand.
Amid reports the Scottish Tories are furious about the issue, Carlaw was confronted by the media after First Minister’s Questions.
He said he had been talking to UK ministers over the last 48 hours and wanted to talk with Johnson.
He said: “It’s a work in progress and I very much hope and intend that we will have a migration process, in the final analysis and detail, which is appropriate to Scotland.”
Asked if the UK system was wrong, he told The Herald: “I don’t think what’s being proposed by UK ministers actually has been properly understood in all its detail. Let’s just, over the next few days, wait and see what becomes available.
READ MORE: WATCH: Nicola Sturgeon hits out at Scottish Tories' silence over immigration
“I am in ongoing discussions with UK ministers. I hope to see the Prime Minister when I’m in London shortly and I expect we will have a migration system which is appropriate to Scotland’s needs.”
Asked about the SNP’s suggestion of a Scottish visa, he said: “The answer is to have a migration system which is appropriate to Scotland’s needs. I think we are still digesting the Scottish Government’s paper as well, which we actually as Scottish Conservatives believe had quite a sensible analysis of the situation and there were some sensible suggestions made in that too.”
Carlaw’s comments followed Sturgeon renewing her criticism of the plans at FMQs.
She told MSPs: “The proposals on immigration ... are wrong in principle. They brand as low-skilled people who care for us in our care homes and hospitals, farm our land, process our fish, build our houses and look after our tourists in our restaurants and hotels, and imply that those people are not welcome here. That is shocking and shameful, and it should be opposed. The UK Government’s proposals are also devastating for the future of our economy.
READ MORE: Does your job pay enough to live in Scotland under Westminster’s new rules?
“Our demographics mean that we need to continue to attract people here, and those proposals will make it much harder. The proposals will make Scotland poorer in future. They are the biggest risk to our economic prosperity that we face.”
She also said the plans were a test for Carlaw and his party.
“Rather than being quietly livid, should the Scottish Tories not be standing up for Scotland and doing something about it?” she said.
The First Minister’s official spokesman later said Carlaw’s comments suggested the UK Tories treated their Scottish party with even less respect than they showed the Scottish Government, saying: “Not only does Boris Johnson’s Government treat the Scottish Government with contempt, they treat their own Scottish Tory colleagues with utter contempt. That just lays bare the depth of contempt in which they are held by their Westminster colleagues.”
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