JOHN Swinney has called on the UK Government to work with him to develop a “tailored” migration policy for Scotland – accusing Labour of being “anti-growth” with its refusal to countenance the idea.
The First Minister wants a special Scottish graduate visa to be introduced – as Labour did with the “Fresh Talent” scheme in 2005 – and is pledging that he is “ready to put in the hard yards” to make it happen.
But in a speech at JP Morgan in Glasgow on Wednesday, he will claim that the UK Government is being “dragged in an anti-growth direction” adding that there is a “prevailing political consensus at Westminster which is determined to limit migration and is hostile to EU membership”.
Saying that such a stance does not meet Scotland’s economic needs, the First Minister will say that he wants to work with industry and others “to draw the UK Government back towards mainstream positions that work for Scotland”.
He will insist there needs to be a “renewed focus on a migration policy that works for Scotland”, with the First Minister expected to tell the audience: “Have no doubt, right now we need people to come here to live and work to bolster our working-age population.”
Referring to Labour’s previous Fresh Talent scheme, which ended in 2008, Swinney will say: “Twenty years ago, the UK and Scottish governments worked together to launch a tailored migration route designed to enable international students to stay in Scotland after they graduated.
“I see no reason why this cannot happen again. I stand ready to work with the UK Government to develop this.”
The First Minister will add that “progress happens” when Scots can come together and “coalesce around reasonable proposals in the national interest”.
And he will “invite everyone determined to make the Scottish economy better, to join me in this national endeavour”.
It comes after the UK Government repeatedly ruled out working on a bespoke Scottish visa of any sort – despite Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s claims that he had been in discussions with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about one.
Sarwar previously told The House magazine that he had had “a number of conversations with [Home Secretary] Yvette Cooper and UK colleagues” about the “different migration needs in different parts of the country”, something he claimed they recognised.
He also expressed a desire to see the Fresh Talent scheme revisited.
Malhotra had previously ruled out a bespoke Scottish visa scheme when asked by SNP MP Pete Wishart.
“The honourable member will know that we will not be introducing a Scottish visa scheme or devolving control of immigration policy,” she said.
That response came on January 13, the same day as the Home Office also issued a statement in response to a similar query from The National about the Holyrood vote for action on a bespoke Scottish visa scheme.
The Home Office made clear it was “not considering this policy”.
The UK Government also denied it was looking at a bespoke Scottish visa after reports last October, which had been sparked by comments from Scottish Labour MP John Grady.
