The European Parliament’s Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt was typically blunt over the weekend when asked for his assessment of Theresa May’s view that EU nationals coming to the UK during any Brexit transition period should get fewer rights than those already in the country.
“For us it is not acceptable,” said the former Belgian prime minister. “We do not even want to be talking about it.”
Neither, it would seem, do the increasing number of sectors in the Scottish economy that rely on labour from the EU and are already seeing a decrease in applications for jobs.
According to research carried out by a thinktank headed by former SNP MPs Michelle Thomson and Roger Mullin, access to skills remains the main concern for the majority of business leaders post-Brexit, regardless of how they voted in the referendum. Indeed, even some of those who voted to leave the EU say they do not want to see barriers put in the way of their ability to employ European nationals.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the UK Government has attempted to play down the impact of Brexit on recruitment, arguing that it will only affect a limited number of sectors and will open up more opportunities for British workers.
The research by Ms Thomson and Mr Mullin, however, found that anxieties about staffing exist across the board, from academia to seasonal fruit picking, engineering to fish processing, hospitality to banking and the creative industries.
The situation is particularly bad, business leaders indicated in their responses, because Government strategies have failed to address skills gaps in many of these sectors for so long.
With this in mind, Mrs May’s latest EU national proposals – viewed by many as an attempt to appease Eurosceptic members of her own party – will be seen as unhelpful in the extreme.
Her approach is particularly frustrating since many sectors are already feeling a chilling effect, not least because the Prime Minister has given such little detail on the shape of the relationship she envisages with the EU following any transition period after the UK leaves in March 2019.
In the business pages of this newspaper yesterday we read that the veterinary industry is already experiencing a worrying drop-off in applications from EU nationals, who currently make up one in three Scottish vets.
Crieff Hydro boss Stephen Leckie, meanwhile, voices similar concerns about the hospitality industry, highlighting a nationwide shortage of chefs, waiting and housekeeping staff, adding that the situation is exacerbated because industries such as care, retail, farming and IT are often fighting for the same staff.
The consequences of all this on the Scottish economy, which is already lagging behind other parts of the UK, are obvious and bleak. Productivity, capacity and competitiveness will all suffer, while opportunities for growth could be stifled.
Clearly, Mrs May must put the needs of business over those of her party, even if that means giving a guarantee that all EU nationals will have full rights at least until the end of any transition period after Brexit. And if she really is serious about ending free movement, she must ensure that measures are put in place - including a rapid expansion of the Home Office’s Shortage Occupation List - to ensure businesses can hire the skills and staff they need from across Europe and beyond.
Scotland has particular geographical and demographic needs, and must continue to attract migrant labour to function and thrive in an increasingly ruthless global market. The onus is now on Mrs May to respond positively and pragmatically before it’s too late.
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