CBI in call for ‘tough choices’ over Brexit and immigration
End arguments over Brexit and use immigration to solve worker shortages in a bid to boost growth, the CBI chief is set to tell politicians today.
In his speech at the CBI annual conference 2022 in Birmingham, director general Tony Danker is expected to praise some of the “incredibly welcome” announcements in last week’ s autumn statement while also warning the UK must go further in order to solve years of stagnating growth.
It comes as Downing Street labelled as “categorically untrue” a report that Rishi Sunak’s Government is considering putting the UK on the road to a Swiss-style relationship with the EU.
The Sunday Times reported the move could take place over the next decade as the Government eyes up a closer relationship with the EU that avoids the current barriers to trade.
Senior politicians are expected to attend the business body’s two-day conference, which comes only days after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled £25 billion of tax rises in a budget designed to restore market confidence in the UK after Liz Truss’s own disastrous minibudget.
The pivot from massive tax cuts to steep tax rises has been criticised by some on the Tory backbenches, raising speculation of a rebellion by MPS over some of the measures.
With the UK forecast to be already in recession, Mr Danker will tell the conference: “The painful reality about growth is that it can’t be stimulated overnight. That’s what the minibudget got wrong.
“Across-the-board tax cuts. Immediate demand stimulus. Relying on the old British strength− consumption− at the expense of the perennial Britishweakness− investment− has given growth a bad name.”
Mr Danker will call on politicians to be “practical” about immigration. “Let’s have economicmigration in areas where we aren’t going to get the people and skills at home any time soon. In return, let’s make those visas fixed term.”
He will also urge reform of regulationsand red tape, telling the audience: “The biggest regulatory barriers facing businesses today are based on British laws, created by a british parliament, and administered by british regulators .”
He is also expected to flag concerns over the as-yet unresolved row with the EU about the Northern Ireland Protocol.