People from elsewhere in the EU make a huge contribution to our economy as well as our society. The NHS would collapse if we told all the doctors, nurses and other valued staff from other EU countries that they were no longer welcome here.
That’s why the Liberal Democrats spearheaded the government's first Brexit defeat as peers in the House of Lords voted in favour of an amendment to the Brexit bill to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.
Not only would such a move be a slap in the face to those who have cared for and helped so many British people back to health, it would also seriously damage health care in this country and put the nation’s very health at risk.
But health is far from the only sector that would be damaged. The government has just indicated it wants to build a vast number of extra homes – how will it possibly deliver those targets if it turns its back on almost 10% of the country’s builders?
The government is also relying on big infrastructure projects to support a fragile economy – all of which will require more builders, not less. Currently, Britain employs 210,000 Continental Europeans, 9% of the sector’s workforce.
Other sectors that would be hit include manufacturing, which employs 311,000 foreign EU nationals (10% of the workforce) as well as accommodation and food services (243,000 EU workers, 14% of the workforce).
Around 10% of doctors and 4% of nurses are understood to come from other EU countries. Overall, around 5% of NHS staff – almost 59,000 people – are from elsewhere in the EU.
The stark truth is you can’t have a hard Brexit and a strong NHS, or a hard Brexit and an economy that delivers the homes Britain needs.
That’s why the Liberal Democrats have this week called for the government to guarantee an immediate “NHS passport” for the 59,000 EU nationals who work directly for the NHS.
Now that even David Davis has acknowledged we will need workers from the EU for the foreseeable future, why won’t Theresa May do the decent think and guarantee the right to remain for all EU citizens?
These people are looking after our sick and elderly, Theresa May must not use families living in Britain as bargaining chips in some escalating hostage negotiation. Not only is this mean-spirited approach an appalling way to treat people who contribute so much to the British economy and society, it is harming Britain’s negotiating position. When even David Davis says that the UK economy will depend on EU immigration for years to come, it also begs the question why he wants to leave the Single Market.
People must not be used as pawns in Theresa May’s dangerous game. We must secure the future of the millions of people currently held in limbo by this Brexit Government and stand up for a Britain that is open, tolerant and united.
