Scotland ‘unattractive’ to migrants, says Tory

A&onseryatiye memeer of 3erth and .inross &ouncil has Tuestioned how kfriendly and welcomingy an 613 run 6cotland is to migrants.

&ouncillor $ngus )orees the opposition party s sponesman for economic deyelopment claims 6cotland is an kunattractiyey place for people from other countries compared to (ngland.

+e was responding to criticism of 6uella %rayerman made Ey /ieeral 'emocrat &ouncillor 3eter %arrett.

&ouncillor %arrett said the 7ory home secretary s suggestion that the 8. trains its own fruit picners to cut immigration showed ka significant degree of naiyetyy.

+e said k7he &onseryatiyes anti migrant rhetoric has made the 8. less appealing to worners and their anti migrant policies haye made it far harder for Eusinesses to get the staff they need.y

%ut councillor )orees who represents &arse of *owrie claimed the kfacts tell a totally different storyy.

k&ouncillor %arrett is completely wrong to suggest that the 8. is now less appealing to immigrants since %re[it y he said.

k/egal net migration to the 8. has doueled since %re[it and is now at record numeers.

k7he issue that 3erthshire has in regard specifically to fruit picners is not the numeer of people ayailaele in the 8. q rather it s the fact that they don t see 6cotland as an attractiye place to come and settle.

k(yery single region of (ngland e[cept the 1orth (ast attracts more migrants than 6cotland does so what we should all Ee looning at q and , include councillor %arrett in this q is consider why that may Ee.

k:hy is 6cotland an unattractiye place to settle for migrants"

k&ould it Ee that under years of 613 rule 6cotland is not the friendly and welcoming place that we would line it to Ee"y

+e added that 0s %rayerman was kright to find ways to clamp down on illegal migration y saying k7here is nothing wrong with training our own citi]ens to picn fruit or indeed do any other MOE that needs to Ee done.

k:e often spean at the council aeout growing our own in areas line care worners and +*9 driyers

two professions that are difficult to staff.

k, am afraid it s councillor %arrett that is talning Eananas.y

0r %arrett responded Ey claiming councillor )orees was khurt Ey the truthy adding k7he impact of %re[it the &onseryatiyes hostility to immigration and incompetence in goyernment are hurting

farmers and the horticultural sector.

k1)8 6cotland called on the 8. *oyernment three years ago to deliyer a seasonal worners scheme which would deliyer the worners 6cotland needs q instead crops haye gone to waste unpicned operations haye Eeen scaled Eacn and farmers haye had to change crops.y

&ouncillor *rant /aing leader of 3erth and .inross &ouncil said he kagreed wholeheartedlyy with councillor %arrett.

+e said k,t is political gymnastics for councillor )orees to try and pin something onto the 613 that eyeryeody in the industry Elames on %re[it.y

CRITICAL: Conservative councillor Angus Forbes.