Anti-Immigration Rhetoric May Lead to ‘Bare-Knuckle Fight’ in UK

Politicians have to realize that ramping up anti-immigration rhetoric won’t just impact on the UK electorate – it echoes round the world, giving the impression we are not a country that is open for business, an expert told Sputnik.

EDINBURGH (Sputnik), Mark Hirst – A leading London trade representative organization has warned politicians that “ramping up anti-immigration rhetoric” will give the impression that Britain is not a good place to do business.

“Politicians have to realize that ramping up anti-immigration rhetoric won’t just impact on the UK electorate – it echoes round the world, giving the impression we are not a country that is open for business,” Mark Hilton of the business group London First told Sputnik.

Hilton was commenting after a study published by University London College highlighted that immigration into the UK had led to a “significant increase in the supply of low skilled workers”, prompting calls from anti-immigration groups and some politicians for greater controls over inward migration to Britain. But Hilton told Sputnik the benefits of immigration to the UK risked being overlooked in what he described as a “bare-knuckle fight”.

“We are worried that these figures will precipitate a bare-knuckle fight over immigration ahead of the general election, where the benefits that it brings to the UK will be forgotten,” Hilton said.

Hilton pointed out that the figures include a rise in foreign students coming to Britain’s world-leading universities, as well as high-skilled workers needed to fill talent shortages in the country’s own workforce.

“These groups play key roles in boosting the economy, as well as promoting Britain on the world stage,” Hilton said.

The issue of immigration remains highly controversial in the UK and other leading business representative organizations including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Federation of Small Businesses declined invitations by Sputnik to be interviewed on the subject.

“I think at this stage we won’t be saying anything on it. I’ve not had a look at the report myself but I imagine it will be something our policy team will pick up and do some work on,” Jack Neill-Hall of the Federation of Small Businesses told Sputnik.

In a statement Steven Woolfe, a Member of the European Parliament with anti-immigration party Ukip said the influx of immigrants could push down wages.

“If you get large scale migration into the UK it pushes down wages. It also leads to a rise in people who are on zero-hour contracts.

This is not an economy on the up, this is just people relying on low wages to take any job that comes along,” Woolfe said.

The UCL study was conducted by Dr. John Jerrim whose research revealed that there were 7.8 million people in the UK with low-level numeracy skills, but immigration adds 2.4 million more to that figure which Jerrim states is “substantial.”