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Firms have 'social duty' to hire UK workers - minister Firms have 'social duty' to hire UK workers - minister
(about 3 hours later)
Companies have a "social duty" to hire British workers before immigrants, a Conservative minister has said.Companies have a "social duty" to hire British workers before immigrants, a Conservative minister has said.
Matthew Hancock said companies should consider recruiting locally rather than immediately take what he called "the easy option" of hiring from abroad.Matthew Hancock said companies should consider recruiting locally rather than immediately take what he called "the easy option" of hiring from abroad.
Firms with apprenticeship schemes had a workforce that was more "motivated and connected", he suggested.Firms with apprenticeship schemes had a workforce that was more "motivated and connected", he suggested.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown was criticised in 2007 for promising "British jobs for British workers". But the UK Independence Party said the comments were "utterly meaningless" while the UK remained part of the EU.
Mr Hancock, who is in charge of skills policy at the Department for Business, said that while British firms were not legally obliged to prioritise local workers, he believed they had a responsibility to support local employment.Mr Hancock, who is in charge of skills policy at the Department for Business, said that while British firms were not legally obliged to prioritise local workers, he believed they had a responsibility to support local employment.
'Greater attachment''Greater attachment'
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that foreign recruitment had been too high during the "boom years" under the last Labour government and, as the economy started to recover, firms should be prepared to spend more to train local staff.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that foreign recruitment had been too high during the "boom years" under the last Labour government and, as the economy started to recover, firms should be prepared to spend more to train local staff.
"The responsibility of employers is to the communities they live in as well as to making a pure profit," he said. "This is about a change of culture. I am arguing that it is companies' social responsibility, their social duty, to look at employing locally first.""The responsibility of employers is to the communities they live in as well as to making a pure profit," he said. "This is about a change of culture. I am arguing that it is companies' social responsibility, their social duty, to look at employing locally first."
He added: "Those who put the effort in have ended up with a more motivated employee, who is more connected to their company, because if you as a company put something in, you get someone with a great attachment in return."He added: "Those who put the effort in have ended up with a more motivated employee, who is more connected to their company, because if you as a company put something in, you get someone with a great attachment in return."
Mr Brown told the Labour Party conference in 2007 that the government would be "drawing on the talents of all to create British jobs for British workers". Former prime minister Gordon Brown told the Labour Party conference in 2007 that the government would be "drawing on the talents of all to create British jobs for British workers".
At the time, he was criticised by the Conservatives and others of cheap populism and pledging something that was undeliverable, because of free movement of labour within the European Union. At the time, he was criticised by the Conservatives and others for cheap populism and pledging something that was undeliverable, because of free movement of labour within the European Union.
'Can of worms''Can of worms'
Mr Hancock denied he was essentially saying the same thing as Mr Brown, insisting he was calling for a change in corporate culture rather than a change in the law or a "job creation scheme". Mr Hancock denied he was essentially saying the same thing now, insisting he was calling for a change in corporate culture rather than a change in the law or a "job creation scheme".
Figures published earlier this month showed a further 57,000 fall in total unemployment but long-term joblessness continues to rise while nearly a million 18-24 year olds are still out of work.Figures published earlier this month showed a further 57,000 fall in total unemployment but long-term joblessness continues to rise while nearly a million 18-24 year olds are still out of work.
At the moment, only 7% of British firms offer apprenticeship schemes. BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said Mr Hancock's remarks were the latest in a series of moves from Conservative ministers that will be interpreted as an attempt to deal with the electoral threat posed by UKIP - which wants the UK to withdraw from the European Union.
Economist Will Hutton told Today that the minister's comments "opened a can of worms" and a British first recruitment policy could become "very discriminatory, very fast". UKIP leader Nigel Farage said that the EU was advertising 800,000 jobs in the UK to those living in its other 27 member states.
"There is plainly a problem," the Work Foundation chief executive said. "Mr Hancock's comments are totally, utterly meaningless rubbish, while we remain part of the EU's single market," he told the BBC News Channel. "He is not allowed to put the interests of British workers first because we are members of the EU."
"You have got half a million people coming into the country every year finding work and you have got nearly a million people aged 18-24 without work. The next step is what to do, and you can get into real trouble very fast." Conservative election strategist Lynton Crosby was "clearly behind" the announcement, Mr Farage suggested, and voters would be angry if their "expectations were raised" and nothing actually happened.
He said it was easier to be accepted by Oxford University than get onto an apprentice scheme with a major British car firm. "They (the Conservatives) know they have lost the argument on jobs and immigration and UKIP have stolen a march on them and are attempting, through rhetoric, to take that territory back."
BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said Mr Hancock's remarks were the latest in a series of moves from Conservative ministers that will be interpreted as an attempt to deal with the electoral threat posed by the UK Independence Party. Economist and Work Foundation chief executive Will Hutton told Today that the minister's comments "opened a can of worms" and a British first recruitment policy could become "very discriminatory, very fast".