Labour Government working on separate Scottish immigration visa

Labour MP John Grady said in a debate on Tuesday that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is "determined" to set up an independent Scottish system.

The Labour Government is working on a separate Scottish immigration visa to attract more people to Scotland.

Labour MP John Grady said in a debate on Tuesday that Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is "determined" to set up an independent Scottish system.

The Glasgow East MP said during the Westminster Hall debate that the body which deals with immigration is looking into how it could put such a scheme in place.

Grady said: "Scottish Labour and the Labour Party are in favour of bringing talented people into Scotland, and the Scottish Government are welcome to work with us as we seek to ensure that that takes place.

"As I understand it, the home secretary is determined to ensure that it does, and I also understand that the migration advisory committee is looking at the issue carefully."

The migration advisory committee is an independent body that advises the UK Government on migration.

Grady said the only question was "how to do it". He added that Labour ministers wanted to work "productively" with their SNP counterparts to carry it out.

There were 19,100 more deaths than births in Scotland last year. This was the largest difference on record. But the country's population increased because of immigration.

More than a fifth of people in Scotland are over 65, while only 16 per cent are under 15. Experts have warned this could result in a lack of working age people to cover caring costs for older people.

Concerns had been raised over people on Scottish visas relocating south of the border after they move to the UK.

But this is believed to be solved by linking the visas to Scottish tax codes. Those who receive them would not be able to legally work in England.

SNP MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry Stephen Gethins will submit a private members bill in Westminster that would give Holyrood powers to create its own visa scheme.

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He said: "Before the Brexit referendum, the Brexiteers promised Scotland its own visa system and before the general election Labour figures made this Continued on page 4 continued from page 1 Scottish visa system commitment as well.

"Local businesses, higher education institutions and other stakeholders across Scotland are crying out for a specific Scottish system that can meet Scotland's specific migration and economic needs.

"Whilst I welcome this apparent concession from this Labour MP, we have still got a long way and I hope that Labour will keep to its commitments in a way that the Brexiteers never did."

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