Use robots instead of hiring low-paid migrants, says shadow home secretary

Chris Philp says other countries use a lot more automation for tasks such as picking fruit and vegetables. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Rex/Shutterstock

Businesses should be using more robots instead of hiring low-paid migrants, the shadow home secretary has said.

The Conservative MP Chris Philp says other countries “use a lot more automation” for tasks such as picking fruit and vegetables “rather than simply importing a lot of low-wage migrant labour”.