Business leaders prefer foreigners to British workers

Business leaders today rejected a Cabinet minister's demand that they give jobs to Britons rather than immigrants, saying they wanted candidates with a "strong work ethic".

In a blunt retort to Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, the head of one of the country's biggest business groups said bosses often had no choice but to turn to foreign workers because too few Britons were qualified.

David Frost, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "They expect young people to come forward to them who are able to read, write and communicate and have a good work ethic and too often that's not the case and there's a stream of able East European migrants who are able to fill those jobs."

Other employers said it was down to the Government to improve the standard of school-leavers and graduates rather than expect struggling businesses to bring them up to scratch.
Mr Frost praised workers from countries like Poland: "They are skilled, they speak good English and, more importantly, they want to work."

He urged the Government not to prevent non-EU workers at the top of their field from coming to work in the UK in senior positions.
London First, which represents top companies based in the capital, said: "We cannot sacrifice competitiveness for the sake of political objectives."

Mr Duncan Smith made his plea in a speech in Madrid. He urged firms not to "fall back on labour from abroad" and spoke of a "contract with the British people" to direct jobs to young Britons.