Yesterday, live on Andrew Marr’s BBC Sunday morning political show, partway through Mr Marr reading out a list of business groups who have raised concerns in a letter to the government about a no-deal Brexit, Mr Marr said to Priti Patel: “I can’t see why you are laughing.” You can see in the video below that Ms Patel in reaction to recognising Marr’s comment stops smirking abruptly.
Ms Patel’s conviction to impose ending free movement seems more than policy motivated, and even peculiar given she is the daughter of immigrants who rightly benefited from the UK’s open freedom of movement policies. Given her clear commitment to impose ending free movement, and laughing at political commentators who list out industry bodies opposition and concerns to it, what hope has hospitality and other industries in asking for change.
The UK hospitality industry has for years, some might say decades, been plagued by people and skills shortages, if you work in hospitality you know this through bitter experience.
The Home Office has already confirmed the Government intends to end free movement, ‘as it currently stands’ as of 31 October 2019. People from the EU and anywhere else in the world entering the UK looking to work after 31 October 2019 will be required pre entry to have secured a job paying a minimum of £30,000 per year.
Consider how many hospitality job roles are very substantially lower than £30,000 a year, most in volume terms. Looking at the legislation the Government will impose on hospitality, it is a disaster waiting to unfold and we all know it.
While Priti Patel smirks at this prospect, we do not, and we suspect that 1,000’s of businesses in hospitality won’t be smirking either.