The Government must re-think its approach on immigration after Brexit

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has warned the Government that its plans to reduce immigration after Brexit will have “devastating consequences” for London and urges it to re-consider its plans to impose a £30,000 salary threshold on EU citizens coming into the UK after Brexit.

Speaking to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khan said that City Hall analysis has found that sectors including construction will be hit hardest by new restrictions on low-skilled immigration.

Khan has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel, recommending the Government reduce the salary threshold to £21,000, the equivalent of the London Living Wage and give City Hall powers to fast-track visas.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes the mayor of London’s support but any threshold would create an additional barrier to building new homes and make life harder for SMEs and regional contractors, particularly at a time when the construction industry continues to face significant shortages of skilled workers.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB said: “We have always stated that the £30,000 salary threshold could cripple construction, so we welcome the mayor of London’s support.

“A more practical solution could be to set the EU worker’s salary to the salary of a settled worker in the region he or she will work. This would provide the flexibility London and our regions need to attract workers with a fair rate of pay.”

National Federation of Builders

The National Federation of Builders is a United Kingdom trade association representing the interests of small and medium-sized building contractors in England and Wales.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Homebuyers face longer buying timelines

The latest research from Lyons Bowe suggests the homebuying process could become even slower in 2026: as the number of conveyancers operating across the UK is thought to have fallen by almost -13% while transaction volumes rise, placing further pressure on completion timelines. Lyons Bowe has analysed data on the number of active conveyancers in…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 1/4/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Winning the AI Era: A Playbook for UK Estate Agencies The AI-Driven Rewiring of UK Estate Agency Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR Real estate has historically been conservative, fragmented, and inefficient. A surge of startups, is introducing automation, data-driven decision-making, and better customer experiences. This…
Read More
Breaking News

What renters and landlords need to know ahead of major rental law changes

With just one month to go until the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force, the leading professional body, Propertymark, is urging renters and landlords across England to understand how the changes could affect them. From 1 May 2026, the legislation will introduce some of the biggest changes to the private rented…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Tackling Empty Properties

A UK Perspective on Best Practice and Recommendations for Reform Propertymark, the UK’s leading professional body for property agents, has today published a comprehensive new position paper highlighting the urgent need for coordinated, practical and properly resourced action to bring long-term empty properties back into use. With over 359,000 homes sitting empty for more than…
Read More
Breaking News

Pet-friendly rentals plunge 39%

New research from Inventory Base reveals that the number of pet-friendly rental homes in England has fallen by -39% since the start of 2026, as landlords appear to be reducing the number of homes openly marketed as allowing pets ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act taking effect from 1st May. The Renters’ Rights Act (RRA)…
Read More
Breaking News

Latest Nationwide house price data showing a 2.2% increase

Industry reaction to Nationwide house price data showing UK annual house price growth picked up to 2.2% in March, from 1.0% in February. Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, comments: “An uplift in house prices will be welcomed by the market and suggests that buyer demand remains resilient despite ongoing economic headwinds. Improved sentiment, coupled with…
Read More