LABOUR ministers are reportedly exploring a new Scottish immigration visa to attract migrant workers.
In a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, MP for Glasgow East John Grady said the party wanted to bring more workers to Scotland and suggested that the new UK Government may be working on proposals.
The Times later reported that this included proposals for a separate Scottish visa.
A Home Office spokesperson, however, refuted that a visa scheme was being considered.
They said: “This is not government policy and not something the Home Secretary is considering.”
During the debate, Grady said: “Scottish Labour and the Labour Party are in favour of bringing talented people into Scotland, and the Scottish Government are welcome to work with us as we seek to ensure that that takes place.
“As I understand it, the Home Secretary is determined to ensure that it does, and I also understand that the migration advisory committee is looking at the issue carefully.”
Grady added that Labour ministers wanted to work “productively” with the SNP on the issue.
Meanwhile, Stephen Gethins (below), the SNP MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, will submit a private members bill for consideration in Westminster on Thursday – aiming to give Holyrood powers to establish such a scheme.
He said: “Before the Brexit referendum, the Brexiteers promised Scotland its own visa system and before the general election Labour figures made this commitment as well.
“Local businesses, higher education institutions and other stakeholders across Scotland are crying out for a specific Scottish system that can meet Scotland’s specific migration and economic needs.
“Whilst I welcome this apparent concession from this Labour MP, we have still got a long way and I hope that Labour will keep to its commitments in a way that the Brexiteers never did.”
John Swinney previously cast doubt that a new Labour Government would ultimately set up a separate Scottish visa.
Speaking before the General Election in July, he said: “I welcome it because if it's an indication of some of the practical steps that might come from intergovernmental relations with an incoming Labour government, then nobody will engage in that more strongly than me.”
Swinney went on: “Let’s see what happens. I'll certainly engage in that, because we need a solution like that.
“If I take you back 20 years, the previous Labour-Liberal executive brought forward a fresh talent initiative which we supported in opposition because we recognised it was something that would benefit Scotland.
“I'll work constructively to try to take forward measures like that – but just allow me to put the point forward that the Labour Party has taken a very, very hostile attitude towards migration and we'd have to see how that would work out in practice.”
