May yields to Gove over need for foreign farm workers

MICHAEL GOVE has won a major battle with Theresa May after she agreed to a trial of a scheme that will enable British farmers to employ tens of thousands of migrant workers after Brexit.

The Government is reviving the seasonal agricultural workers scheme after warnings that fruit and vegetables could be left to rot in fields because of shortages of labour.

The original scheme, allowing farmers to employ workers from Bulgaria and Romania on six-month visas, was closed by Mrs May when she was Home Secretary in 2013.

Ministers are now launching a twoyear pilot which will allow 2,500 noneu workers to come to the UK every year for six months at a time. The pilot will begin in the spring of 2019.

Officials said the Prime Minister had been blocking the trials for “some time”, but Mr Gove and Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, succeeded in winning her round.

Mr Gove, the Environment Secretary, said: “We have listened to the powerful arguments from farmers about the need for seasonal labour to keep the horticulture industry productive and profitable.

“This two-year pilot will ease the workforce pressures faced by farmers during busy times of the year. We will review the pilot’s results as we look at how best to support the longer-term needs of industry outside the EU.”

Mr Javid said farmers were vital to the economy and the Government would support them “in any way we can”. He added: “This pilot will ensure farmers have access to seasonal labour they need to remain productive and profitable during busy times.

“I am committed to having an immigration system that reduces migration to sustainable levels, supports all industry and ensures we welcome those who benefit Britain.”