Home Secretary Theresa May came under fire from business leaders last night who accused her of jeopardising Britain’s economic recovery by “pandering to anti-immigration sentiment”.
The Institute of Directors (IoD) issued a strongly-worded response to her announcement of a sharp tightening of asylum and immigration rules at the Conservative conference.
In what was widely perceived as a pitch for the party leadership, she declared the UK “does not need” large numbers of foreign arrivals, warning they were putting British workers out of jobs and forcing down wages.
She also suggested they were making it harder to create a “cohesive society” and urged party members to “put Britain first”.
IoD director general, Simon Walker, branded Mrs May’s words “irresponsible rhetoric” and accused her of “putting internal party politics ahead of the country”.
He added: “The myth of the job-stealing immigrant is nonsense. Immigrants do not steal jobs, they help fill vital skill shortages and, in doing so, create demand and more jobs.
“If they did steal jobs, we wouldn’t have the record levels of employment we currently do.
“It is about time the Home Office stopped undermining business and our own government’s efforts to secure productivity growth.”
He said that rather than “vilifying” immigrants, political leaders should acknowledge the “hugely important contribution” they make to the UK economy.
Opposition politicians also criticised the home secretary, who outlined plans to overhaul a system she said currently rewarded the “wealthiest, the luckiest and the strongest”.
Aberdeen North MP Kirsty Blackman said it was “divisive attitudes” such as Mrs May’s that were making it impossible to build a cohesive society, not the level of migration.
“Immigration continues to make our society richer both culturally and economically,” she added.
Stuart McDonald, the SNP’s Westminster spokesman on immigration, asylum and border control, said the speech was “clearly designed to pander to a Ukip audience in the increasingly bitter battle to succeed David Cameron”.
Refugee Council chief executive, Maurice Wren, described Mrs May’s remarks as “thoroughly chilling”.
He added: “Instead of seeking to close the door on refugees reaching Britain by creating the idea they are somehow unworthy of our help, the home secretary should focus her efforts on reforming Britain’s asylum system so it treats people with the dignity and respect they so desperately need.”