'Brain drain' warning: Why Labour's pandering to Reform on immigration is serious threat to economy
Labour’s continued drive to discourage migrants despite the latest massive fall in their numbers will dismay business leaders who view immigration as an ‘economic necessity’
The news that net UK migration has hit its lowest level since 2021 was welcomed by Keir Starmer as a “step in the right direction”. About 204,000 more people came to stay in the UK than left for another country in the year to June, down from 649,000 the previous year, the Office for National Statistics reported.
The Prime Minister’s reaction will be shared by many. However, as a nation, we need to start asking just how far down this path we should go.
The vast majority of immigrants came for a job or an education, helping to grow the economy and fund universities. Some 288,000 students came from non-EU countries – down from a high of 486,000 in 2023 – while 171,000 people came to work, a 61 per cent decrease on last year’s figure.
More Brits leaving than coming home
Another factor is that the number of British nationals moving abroad rose by more than a third to an estimated 252,000 – considerably more than the 143,000 who came back. Karl Williams, of the Centre for Policy Studies, warned of “an alarming brain drain” – a phrase seldom heard since the 1970s.
The extraordinary record for net migration of 944,000 was set in 2023. But despite that number being reduced to nearly a fifth, Labour and Conservative politicians still insist further steps are necessary. One possible reason is public pressure. A recent poll found 56 per cent of voters wrongly think net migration is still going up.
Marley Morris, of the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: “The government will need to be careful to balance the need to manage migration with its other priorities on boosting economic growth, supporting housebuilding, and protecting public services.”
A necessity, not a choice
Scotland needs migrants more than most parts of the UK, as our population – particularly our working-age population – would be falling without them.
Earlier this year, Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, stressed “for Scotland, immigration is not a choice but an economic necessity”.
Pandering to Reform UK’s agenda, just because many people buy it, won’t save Labour if it leads this country down a road to economic ruin.
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