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You are at:Home»Uncategorised»SNP Lodge Scottish Visa Bill

SNP Lodge Scottish Visa Bill

JamieBy Jamie16th October 202430 Views3 Mins Read Uncategorised
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Powers Demanded as Brexit Staff Shortages Continue

The SNP will demand a Bill to allow the creation of a unique Scottish visa to address labour shortages in Scotland. 
 
Arbroath MP and the SNP’s Scotland & International Affairs Spokesperson, Stephen Gethins, will seek an amendment to the Scotland Act 1998 to enable the Scottish Government to establish the scheme.

The move will come as part of a Ten Minute Rule Bill that the SNP MP will move tomorrow, Thursday 17th October.  
 
It comes after remarks from Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie during the General Election campaign that signalled Labour was open to talks on the visa – followed yesterday by Scottish Labour MP John Grady telling a Westminster Hall debate that the UK government was working on proposals to bring more workers to Scotland. Mr Grady had UK Labour were “absolutely in favour of bringing talented people into Scotland”, and that he understood Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was “absolutely determined that that takes place“.

But the Labour Government today slapped down the idea, confirming that it is “not at all considering a Scottish visa system“. The SNP has now insisted that all Scottish MPs should be supporting Mr Gethins’ Bill, given any prospect of action by the UK Government has disappeared.
 
The SNP has long called for a Scottish visa to address labour shortages in Scotland due to Westminster’s hard Brexit and anti-immigration policies – problems acknowledged by Scottish MPs and MSPs from across the political spectrum. The loss of freedom of movement has led to staff shortages across Scotland’s NHS as well as in key industry sectors including agriculture, hospitality and construction. 

The SNP has said the social care sector is crying out for workers, and points to the scenes of fruit left to rot in the fields of Angus due to a lack of workers to harvest it.

The impact of the Tories’ unnecessary and incredibly damaging hard Brexit, which Labour have long since thrown their weight behind, continues be felt keenly here in Angus and across Scotland.

There are key areas of our economy and public services badly affected, with worker shortages continuing.

Scotland needs immigration – it does not need the Westminster approach to immigration and to immigrants.

With Labour unequivocally backtracking on any suggestion that they were going to address this, I welcome Stephen Gethins’ move to lodge a Bill that would seek to bring powers over immigration where they should be – Holyrood.

GRAEME
https://twitter.com/GreigLogan3/status/1846507130649481533

During the election campaign Scottish Labour claimed a Labour government was open to a Scottish visa, but now we know the truth and it’s the same old Westminster story – big promises and no delivery. 

This is incredibly embarrassing for Scottish Labour, but it’s the Scottish economy and our NHS that will pay the price for this chaos as we continue to face crippling staff shortages thanks to Westminster’s hard Brexit and immigration policies.

The SNP is absolutely clear that we need a Scottish visa to address our demographic challenges and the damage caused by Brexit – it’s now up to Scottish Labour MPs to back us in those calls and put Scotland’s interests first.

STEPHEN GETHINS, MP FOR ARBROATH & BROUGHTY FERRY
brexit economy immigration scottish visa scottish visa bill worker shortage workers
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Jamie
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I’m Graeme’s Parliamentary Assistant at Holyrood, but I also support his constituency work alongside my Angus-based colleagues. I joined Graeme's team in 2019, having previously worked for an MP up in my native Aberdeenshire and in fundraising roles in the education and third sectors.

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Graeme Dey is the the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Angus South Constituency.

Having worked for The Courier newspaper for 26 years, Graeme was elected to Holyrood in 2011.

In March 2023, Graeme was chosen by First Minister Humza Yousaf to be Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans.

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