MP presses seasonal labour case

Angus MP Kirstene Hair has underlined the need for a seasonal agricultural workers scheme to help safeguard the county’s soft fruit industry.

Conservative Ms Hair pressed the Home Secretary Amber Rudd during a meeting of the home affairs select committee, saying certainty was needed for agricultural businesses that rely on a temporary workforce from EU countries.

The call follows reports that the number of foreign fruit pickers dropped by up to 20% last year following the Brexit vote.

Ms Hair said: “There is a great deal of concern from my constituents about the future of seasonal workers – this has been an issue since before 2016.

“No one wants to see fruit rotting in the fields because of a shortage of labour.

“We cannot afford to just hope for the best any more – we need urgent action from the Home Office to ensure we have the people we need.”

Farming leaders have urged the UK Government to set out the rules for EU migrants living and working in the UK after March 2019.

The UK operated a seasonal agricultural workers scheme (Saws) until 2013.

Critics said it encouraged growers to use cheap foreign labour to the detriment of UK workers.

Ms Rudd said: “I understand the urgency but we haven’t had a Saws regime in a while so it takes time to set one up.”