Michael Fabricant. Picture: UK Parliament
Michael Fabricant. Picture: UK Parliament

Lichfield’s MP has sought reassurances that farming businesses will still be able to utilise workers from Eastern Europe when new post-Brexit immigration rules are introduced.

Michael Fabricant spoke with the Home Secretary Priti Patel about the issue in a House of Commons debate yesterday (10th February).

The Home Secretary said a points-based system would be introduced that “works in the best interests of the United Kingdom”.

Conservative MP Mr Fabricant followed up his initial question:

“I for one welcome this, particularly the fact that we’ll be able to attract the brightest and the best, not only from Europe, but from other nations as well, like the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

“But, in Lichfield, we’re a rural constituency, and we have a need not just for people with great skills, but also for part-time, horticultural workers.”

Michael Fabricant MP

The Home Secretary replied:

“I am doubling the numbers of people that can go through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme, and more information will be following on that in due course.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel MP

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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Darryl
4 years ago

Man who voted for the “tiger will eat your face” policy, is disappointed to learn that a tiger will now eat his face.

Mike
4 years ago

Mr Fabricant changes his mind depending who he is talking to. As a hard line brexiteer he wanted all “free” movement stopped now wants it increased. It is not just horticultural worked it is general agricultural workers that are needed most of the year

Simon
4 years ago

The utter cheek of the man. In May 2016 he (successfully) urged us to vote to leave the EU due to the EU immigration system being “ideal for underpaid Bulgarian fruit pickers”
https://twitter.com/mike_fabricant/status/735910557371486208

The Scribbler
4 years ago

I would like to seek assurances from our MP that he will continue to flip and flop on his stance. This of course is dependent on whoever is chirpsing in his ear long enough for some salient fact or useful soundbite to lodge itself in his brain so he can stand up in the Commons or pop up on the broadcast media, take 10 minutes to make a 30-second point and increase his social media following in the process.

In this case it appears some local farmers have been pointing out the difficulty in attracting part-time workers unless the Government allows those overseas workers he has previously pilloried are allowed back into the country without any hassles.

Flip. Flop.

Megan
4 years ago

Hahahaha Scribbler I love it hahahaha.

Megan
4 years ago

Cheap labour might come home to bite them hahaha

Johnneo
4 years ago

So, our mp votes for brexit then asks what will the rules be. Surely a sensible person would have asked first.

AnnS
4 years ago

Johnneo, we are talking about MF here. Sensible is not in his vocabulary.

Lichvegas42%
4 years ago

What an opportunistic idiot Fabricant is.

Mike
4 years ago

Boris says no more unskilled workers from overseas today’s news, who is going to pick fruit and vegetables not UK people who can get enough hand outs for beer and wacky backy

Mandy
4 years ago

OMG did I just read this??

Is this bloke for real, or is he part of an experiment to see how much utter incompetence an electorate will tolerate? The man is a an utter, utter cretin.