Billions Spent on Migrant Benefits While British Workers Struggle: ‘We Have Inherited a Difficult Situation

Labour MP Mike Tapp has declared that the government is committed to creating “British jobs for British workers” as part of its strategy to address immigration and employment challenges.

Speaking on GB News, Tapp criticised the previous Conservative administration for its handling of immigration, stating that Labour had inherited a “really difficult situation” with net migration figures nearing one million and “open borders” in his constituency. 

Tapp highlighted the need to align the jobs market with the skills of incoming workers, pointing to what he described as “massive failures” under the Conservatives. He argued that the UK had become overly reliant on low-paid foreign workers to fill essential roles in sectors like the NHS and social care. 

“The Conservatives have made a lot of noise around this already, but they did have 14 years to get to grips with this. We’ve had eight months,” Tapp said, defending Labour’s efforts to tackle the issue. 


Tapp outlined Labour’s approach to addressing the skills gap and reducing reliance on foreign labour. He emphasised the importance of education, skills training, and apprenticeships, stating that these areas are central to the government’s policy agenda. 

“It starts with education and skills training, apprenticeships, and we’ve got policy coming through on all of those things,” he said. Tapp also praised Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s efforts to reform the NHS, including measures to train more British nurses and reduce dependency on overseas recruitment. 

“What Wes is doing already is sweeping away some of the barriers to ensure that we can fix the NHS, train up British nurses to fill these jobs so we’re not over-reliant on foreign workforces,” Tapp explained. He pointed out that the current starting salary for nurses, at £25,000, is part of the problem, making it difficult to attract and retain domestic talent. 

“Having to recruit outside of this country is a failure of the state,” Tapp stated, underscoring Labour’s commitment to ensuring British workers are equipped to fill available jobs. 


Tapp revealed that the government is preparing to publish a white paper on the jobs market early this year. The document will analyse sectors struggling with labour shortages and identify areas where foreign recruitment has become necessary. 

“We have got a white paper coming out early this year, which will look at the jobs market, look at the sectors that are failing, look at those who are having to recruit outside workforces,” he said. Tapp reiterated that the solution lies in improving education and skills development, ensuring that British workers are prioritised for British jobs. 

“The way you deal with that is starting at the beginning with education, apprenticeships, and skills, to ensure that British workers get those British jobs, because we come first,” he said. 

Tapp’s comments come amid growing concerns about the economic impact of immigration and the cost of supporting migrants. Over a million migrants claiming benefits in the UK are estimated to cost an additional £3.5 billion in public spending, while a further £5.4 billion is spent on accommodating and supporting a backlog of over 100,000 migrants. 

Tapp expressed confidence in Labour’s ability to address these challenges, stating, “We’re going to get on top of it.” He highlighted the government’s recent welfare reforms as part of its broader strategy to reduce dependency on foreign labour and ensure that British workers are prioritised. 

Tapp concluded by reaffirming Labour’s commitment to aligning the jobs market with immigration policies. “We’re eight months in. We’re working hard to ensure that we match the jobs market with the immigration market, so that we can bring down [immigration numbers],” he said. 

As the government prepares to publish its white paper and implement further reforms, Tapp’s remarks underscore Labour’s focus on creating opportunities for British workers while addressing the challenges posed by high levels of immigration and public spending.