Labour MPs Block Scottish Visa

Broken Promises Damaging Economy & NHS

The SNP has warned “the Labour Party has broken its promise to voters, and is actively damaging Scotland’s economy and public services, by blocking a Scottish visa and the devolution of migration powers while imposing a hard Brexit on Scotland” – after Labour MPs blocked the passage of an SNP bill to devolve migration powers.

The decision to block Stephen Gethins MP’s Devolution (Immigration) (Scotland) Bill at Second Reading, before it could even be considered and amended by the UK government and Parliament, comes despite Labour Party promises to voters during the UK general election that a Labour government would be open to introducing a Scottish visa and devolving migration powers. 

During the election, Anas Sarwar MSP and Jackie Baillie MSP promised Scottish voters that a Labour government would be open to such a move and called it “common-sense”.

There is widespread support in Scotland for a Scottish visa and the devolution of migration across vital industries including hospitality and tourism, construction, agriculture, and higher education, and public services including the NHS and social care sector – all of which have been hit hard by Brexit and the loss of free of movement, which has caused labour shortages
The SNP has also made the case that a Scottish visa, and devolution of migration powers, would boost the Scottish economy by addressing Scotland’s demographic challenges. Without these powers, the working age population of Scotland, and the overall population, are projected to decline – hitting economic growth, public finances and prosperity.

Think tank Reform Scotland, chaired by former Labour Party First Minister Lord McConnell, has also backed an independent Scottish visa scheme writing before the election that there is a “danger Scotland’s needs will be overlooked”.

Westminster has promised, and failed to deliver, immigration powers for Scotland for more than a decade. During the Brexit referendum, Tory cabinet secretary Michael Gove promised Scotland would be given greater control over immigration if the UK voted to leave the EU, and similar promises were made during the 2014 independence referendum.