Reform UK’s Shadow Chancellor Robert Jenrick has announced that a Reform government will prioritise British workers over cheap foreign labour, by reversing Labour’s Jobs Tax.
At a press conference this morning, Jenrick promised to put “British workers first, migrants second”.
He said: “For more than 20 years now, we’ve had British workers coming second - undercut by cheap migrant labour, which drives down wages and our people’s quality of life.
“According to the government’s own figures, the millions of low-skilled migrants that have been brought into our country have cost us hundreds of billions of pounds. Not to mention the pressure they place on GP surgeries, on our schools, housing, on the roads. Well, under a Reform government, those days are going to come to an end.”
In April 2025 Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to 15% - a punitive policy that has discouraged employers from hiring at exactly the time when Britain needs more people in work.
Reform UK will reverse Reeves’ raid and cut NICs back from 15% to 13.8%. But Jenrick was clear that the cut would apply to British citizens only. Employer NICs for foreign nationals would remain at 15%. Reform UK will also introduce a new Employers’ Migrant Labour Levy, which businesses will have to pay for each foreign worker they employ. These changes will incentivise businesses to hire British staff.
The current system is stacked in favour of cheap foreign labour. Successive Conservative and Labour governments have allowed employers to rely on overseas workers, while nearly one million young people in Britain are not in education, employment or training. In fact, 27 young non-EU migrants have been hired for every young Brit since 2020. The new levy will make it cheaper to hire British workers and more expensive to rely on migrant labour, particularly in lower-paid sectors.
Reform UK’s tax cut would cost around £11.2 billion, but this would be fully funded by the new Employers’ Migrant Labour Levy. Every penny raised will be used to cut employment taxes on British workers. The policy would generate further savings by enabling more British citizens to move from Universal Credit into work.
Combined with Reform’s recent pledge to abolish income tax on overtime earnings, this new tax policy reaffirms Reform UK’s status as the party that will stand up for British workers.
At a press conference this morning, Jenrick promised to put “British workers first, migrants second”.
He said: “For more than 20 years now, we’ve had British workers coming second - undercut by cheap migrant labour, which drives down wages and our people’s quality of life.
“According to the government’s own figures, the millions of low-skilled migrants that have been brought into our country have cost us hundreds of billions of pounds. Not to mention the pressure they place on GP surgeries, on our schools, housing, on the roads. Well, under a Reform government, those days are going to come to an end.”
In April 2025 Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to 15% - a punitive policy that has discouraged employers from hiring at exactly the time when Britain needs more people in work.
Reform UK will reverse Reeves’ raid and cut NICs back from 15% to 13.8%. But Jenrick was clear that the cut would apply to British citizens only. Employer NICs for foreign nationals would remain at 15%. Reform UK will also introduce a new Employers’ Migrant Labour Levy, which businesses will have to pay for each foreign worker they employ. These changes will incentivise businesses to hire British staff.
The current system is stacked in favour of cheap foreign labour. Successive Conservative and Labour governments have allowed employers to rely on overseas workers, while nearly one million young people in Britain are not in education, employment or training. In fact, 27 young non-EU migrants have been hired for every young Brit since 2020. The new levy will make it cheaper to hire British workers and more expensive to rely on migrant labour, particularly in lower-paid sectors.
Reform UK’s tax cut would cost around £11.2 billion, but this would be fully funded by the new Employers’ Migrant Labour Levy. Every penny raised will be used to cut employment taxes on British workers. The policy would generate further savings by enabling more British citizens to move from Universal Credit into work.
Combined with Reform’s recent pledge to abolish income tax on overtime earnings, this new tax policy reaffirms Reform UK’s status as the party that will stand up for British workers.
