Vince Cable says UK’s treatment of EU nationals is ‘appalling’
1 min read
Vince Cable has said that the UK’s treatment of EU nationals is “appalling” and will lead to an”exodus” of Europeans.
The Liberal Democrat leader made the remarks ahead of the party's annual conference, which opens today.
Mr Cable warned that the hostile political mood could lead to severe labour shortages in sectors such as construction, hospitality and the NHS.
"We are going to get an exodus... These are traditional labour-intensive services, so if the people aren’t there, you either don’t get the service or the prices go up,” he told the Financial Times.
He also criticised the government’s view that immigration depresses productivity growth.
“Economies don’t work like that. People have to have long term stability and confidence, and at the moment they don’t have any,” he said.
According to figures released earlier this month, emigration from by UK by EU nationals grew by 59% in the quarter leading up to March 2017.
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