Tim Martin: pro-Brexit boss Wetherspoons calls for more migration from EU to staff bars Business News

Pub chain pro-Brexit boss JD Wetherspoon has urged the government to increase migration from the EU to deal with a shortage of workers in the hospitality industry.

Tim Martin, who campaigned for a hard Brexit, including exiting the single market and the end of free movement that went with it, urged Boris Johnson to consider a new “reasonably liberal” visa regime to encourage foreign workers to settle in the UK. .

He suggested that countries close to Britain could receive preferential treatment – apparently at odds with the Brexiteers’ argument that leaving the EU would allow the UK to treat all nationalities equally .

Mr. Martin said The Daily Telegraph: “The UK has a low birth rate. A reasonably liberal immigration system controlled by those we elected, separate from the EU system, would be a plus for the economy and the country.

“America, Australia and Singapore have benefited from this approach for many decades. Immigration combined with democracy works.

The president of Wetherspoon had previously warned that staying in the EU would entail “significant negative economic consequences” and called those who warn of economic damage that severing ties with our most important and closest trading partner would bring “disasters. “.

Advocating for a no-deal Brexit in 2019, Mr Martin said: “I have argued that the UK – and therefore Wetherspoon – will benefit from a free trade approach, avoiding a ‘deal’ that involves the payment of £ 39 billion to the EU. ”

He also cut the price of some drinks by 20 pence to show how he thought Brexit would cut costs.

However, due to Brexit and the pandemic, much of the UK hospitality industry is now struggling to fill thousands of vacancies.

Mr Martin’s comments sparked an angry backlash from many who had opposed Brexit.

Femi activist Oluwole wrote: “I really hope Tim Martin never meets Tim Martin. He’s gonna be so angry!

Former Plaid Cymru frontman Leanne Wood said, “I remember disagreeing with Tim Martin on @bbcquestiontime on this in 2016. He was taking the opposite position to this one then. Too late mate.