Robert Jenrick proposes cutting benefit rights for foreign nationals amid rising reliance on imported labour
Conservative MP Robert Jenrick calls for ending benefit entitlements for foreign nationals and increasing employer responsibility as the UK increasingly fills jobs with overseas workers.
The Centre for Social Justice’s Welfare 2030 inquiry found that a large number of communities in England and Wales have more than half of working-age adults claiming unemployment benefits, indicating entrenched economic inactivity. At the same time, British payroll employment has fallen in most regions since 2020, whereas non-EU payroll jobs have grown, with only a small share of new jobs going to British nationals. Conservative MP Robert Jenrick, acting as the party’s Shadow Chancellor, proposes removing benefit eligibility for foreign nationals, mandating community work for long-term claimants, and placing greater duties on employers to reintegrate sick workers. He frames these steps as necessary to stop using welfare as a permanent substitute for investment in the domestic workforce and to curb dependence on imported low-skill labour.
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Andy Burnham signals possible UK return to the EU after condemning Brexit
- Sep 29 Labour leader Andy Burnham delivered his first conference speech, unveiling policy proposals on public ownership, pensions, and electoral reform.
- Sep 30 The Prime Minister now says re‑joining the EU is among the options the government will consider.
- Sep 30 Burnham signaled that full EU membership is among the possible routes Labour could evaluate.
- Oct 3 A new poll shows half of British adults now support rejoining the EU.
- Oct 4 Kemi Badenoch opened the Conservative conference by framing the Tories as a common-sense party, unveiling pledges on tighter welfare, prison expansion and free childcare for high-earning families.
- Oct 5 Badenoch pushed to drop the £100,000 childcare tax cap at the conference.
- Oct 6 Announced a cut to employer National Insurance for 21‑ to 24‑year‑olds from 15% to 7.5%.
- Oct 7 Badenoch announced a defence spending target of 3% of GDP.
- Oct 8 Badenoch denounced Reform UK as ethnically exclusive at the conference.
- Oct 8 Burnham announced that the pension triple‑lock will be scrapped after the next general election and its savings will fund a National Care Service.
- Oct 18 Ipsos poll shows Conservatives have moved ahead of Reform UK in the opposition race.
Related stories
41 in this thread