Labour would relax immigration rules to help business growth, Keir Starmer to say

Business leaders tell Rishi Sunak to ‘open his mind’ on lifting barriers to trade with EU

Labour will relax immigration rules to boost growth in a renewed push for business support, Sir Keir Starmer is set to say, after Rishi Sunak rebuffed the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) call for greater access to overseas workers.

In a speech to business leaders on Tuesday, the Labour leader will put his party at odds with the government on the key battleground issue, saying his government would be “pragmatic” on migrant workers as part of a national “strategy for growth”.

But he will tell the CBI that any easing of restrictions must be matched by commitments from employers on better training, pay and conditions for homegrown staff – to end the “cheap labour” model for growth and wean Britain off its “immigration dependency”.