Farage can’t answer the question…
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was unable to define what his own cap on immigration would be, despite making it a major priority for his anti-immigrant party.
Farage has made immigration a major issue for his party, as it seeks to build on its recent local election success ahead of the next general election and has accused Labour and the Tories of having failed on the issue.
He was asked on Sky News: “Will you put a cap on the number of people who can come in under your essential skills exemption, particularly in healthcare for people who come in the country?”
Farage replied: “By the time of the next election, we will. I can’t tell you the numbers right now, I don’t have all the figures, but what I can tell you is that anyone that comes in will not be allowed to stay long term. That’s the difference.”
Pushed again on his own cap, a clearly irritated Farage replied: “Ask me in four years time, you can play whatever silly games you want right now…”
Farage’s interview came after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced yesterday in a major speech a number of new immigration measures which he said would mean net migration falls “significantly” over the next four years.
The prime minister unveiled plans to ban recruitment of care workers from overseas, tighten access to skilled worker visas and raise the costs to employers in an effort to bring numbers down.
He did not set a precise target, but the Home Office estimated the policies could lead to a 100,000 drop in immigration per year by 2029.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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