Nigel Farage challenges business owner who worries over "disastrous" new immigrant system

20 February 2020, 14:34 | Updated: 20 February 2020, 14:45

Nigel Farage and this LBC caller struggled to agree over the new immigration point-based system announced by the government.

This comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel said the UK's post-Brexit immigration system which will deny visas to low-skilled workers.

The government has unveiled a new point-based system to be introduced from January 2021 that intends to "end reliance on low-skilled workers" and make it easier for higher-skilled workers to get UK visas.

After asking his listeners wether they felt Patel delivered on the Brexit vote, Phil from Cheshire said the new move is a "disaster" as he felt it would be difficult to replace his workers with locals.

Nigel said: "So is she [Ms. Patel] delivering on the promises made by the government and what people voted for?"

Phil, who is a business owner, said: "I don't think so. I personally think it's a disaster. I don't support this direction of travel at all."

"But the country did," Nigel quipped.

Phil replied: "No, they didn't actually because the way we left was never defined in the vote.

"And so he concluded many scenarios that were available."

Nigel challenged him by asking: "Do you not think that the immigration was the single most important factor in the Brexit vote."

Phil hit back: "I think you made it a very important factor. I don't think that it was the factor that, I think you exploited people's concerns of people coming here to scrounge if you like.

"I don't think 3 million people who are coming into the country as migrant workers 2.94 million we're working and and 60,000 words so I think there's a very legitimate concern over people who don't push in and pull out but the word EU rules in place for those people to be removed."

Nigel said: "Phil, don't make me laugh. Please honestly, let's grow up with this is nonsense.

"The idea that somebody who'd come here after three months hadn't found a regular job, we're gonna put them in handcuffs and send them back through Dover is never ever gonna happen."

The pair went back and forth before Nigel quizzed Phil on his business conduct.

"Why don't employ some English people, Phil?" Nigel said.

Phil explained that people local to his business did not respond to work in his agricultural company and was worried that the new system would negatively impact his business.

You can watch the full clip at the top of the page.