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

Residential projects remain under pressure

Infrastructure keeps UK construction moving through a sluggish spell Residential and non-residential projects remain under pressure, while infrastructure and utilities work give the industry a much-needed lift The value of underlying work starting on-site during the latest three months declined 2% and stood 18% below last year’s levels. Residential construction starts fell 8% against the…
Read More →
Breaking News

Homebuyers hold tight ahead of Autumn Budget

but should they wait to make their move?   The latest research from Yopa has revealed that mortgage market activity has reversed in recent months, with approvals falling at an average monthly rate of 3.9% over the last four months, having previously increased by an average of 1.5% per month over the previous four months, suggesting…
Read More →
Breaking News

House price growth accelerates in Q2

The latest Property Market Index Review by London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that the property market continued to build momentum during the second quarter of 2026, with UK house prices increasing by 1.1%, while London recorded a second consecutive quarter of positive growth.   The Benham and Reeves Market Index Review…
Read More →
Breaking News

House prices hold steady despite impact of higher interest rates

House prices were unchanged in September (0.0%), following a -0.3% fall in August The average property price is now £298,441, compared to £298,395 in August Prices were also unchanged annually (0.0%) compared with September last year Northern Ireland continues to lead UK annual growth, at +7.4% Latest first-time buyer prices reveal what a 2.5% deposit…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 5/10/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Architect-founded KnowYourNest brings property scores into the home search, with a free 1–10 score and full KnowYourNest reports from £9.95 By Author Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR NestLink today launches free NestScore checks and KnowYourNest property intelligence reports for buyers and homeowners across England and Wales.…
Read More →
Breaking News

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows – but higher borrowing costs limit affordability gains UK’s house price to income ratio falls from 7.6 to 7.3, an 11-year low, as earnings continue to outpace house price growth For first-time buyers, homes now cost less than six times earnings, falling from 6.1 to 5.9 However, monthly…
Read More →