Hike in visa fees means we all enjoy the benefit

RISHI Sunak yesterday unveiled a host of generous pay offers for vital workers while announcing that people moving to the UK will have to make a proper contribution to support our public services.

The Prime Minister brought days of speculation to an end with his decision to offer key public sector workers pay rises of between five and seven per cent. Many of these men and women served with courage and dedication during the pandemic and have, like all of us, endured the punishing cost of living crisis.

Teachers, doctors and other pillars of the community deserve a proper pay award which allows them to provide for their families.These are days of tight public finances and Rishi Sunak has decided that people migrating to the UK will pay “significantly” higher visa application fees and face a bigger levy to access the NHS.

This is intended to raise more than £1billion.At a time when net migration to this country has hit a record high it makes sense to require new arrivals to support public services that have been funded by generations of British taxpayers.

The higher visa fees may well prompt people to think twice about making an application.This would be welcomed by Britons who are concerned that the present level of population growth is unsustainable because of the pressure placed on housing, hospitals and schools.

Mr Sunak is right to ensure that people who deliver essential services do not have their wages wiped out by inflation.We hope this gesture of good faith encourages good relations between workers, unions and ministers.