Farage's Reform pledges welfare cuts to curb cheap foreign labor and boost British wages

London — Nigel Farage's Reform party unveiled a plan to curb cheap overseas labor and raise wages for British workers, describing the package as 'very bold' and aimed at ending decades of reliance on migrant labor in low-paid jobs. The centerpiece is a roadmap to reduce immigration routes for low-skilled work, while promising to train Britons for the jobs that would be freed up. The plan would scrap the immigration status of Indefinite Leave to Remain for some arrivals, with Reform arguing it could stop about 800,000 recent entrants from settling by the end of the decade.

Under the plan, British firms in sectors dependent on overseas staff would have to apply for new Acute Skills Shortage Visas and pay a levy to fund training for Britons. Reform also proposed that benefits would be limited for migrants with settled status unless they hold British citizenship, essentially conditioning access to welfare on citizenship. The party argued that rescuing from ILR would produce taxpayer savings in the hundreds of billions over decades; it cited a figure of about £234 billion, though critics have said that estimate relies on a methodology that the think-tank behind it later said should not be used. Farage and ally Zia Yusuf indicated the policy would align with a broader drive to curb European citizens who have settled in the UK from claiming benefits, without specifying how the enforcement would work.

Reaction from labor unions and opposition parties quickly followed. Trade unions warned that the plan would split families and could deprive vital sectors, including the NHS, of workers. Migration Watch chairman Alp Mehmet argued that immigration remains the main driver of rapid population growth and that it must be checked if tensions are to be averted. Matt Wills, a partner at a law firm specializing in immigration, said rescinding established status would undermine the rule of law. Supporters noted the fiscal argument, while critics said the numbers were contested and potentially misleading.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warned that Reform's plan risked a Windrush-style scandal by targeting long‑standing residents, and Labour's Anna Turley contended that the policy was changing mid‑press conference and relied on discredited figures. The Reform plan also includes a separate pledge to deport around 600,000 foreign criminals and Channel migrants over five years.

Officials from Reform clarified that the plan would not scrap the settled status awarded to about four million EU citizens after Brexit, though it would seek to stop them from claiming benefits. The party said its ILR-related savings would come from rescinding awards for those who have not yet become British citizens. Analysts noted that the estimates depend on definitions that the Office for Budget Responsibility has since updated, and some think-tank figures were described as ballpark by their own authors.

The policy framework, according to Reform, rests on stopping some 800,000 new arrivals from settling and encouraging a broader push to train Britons for higher-wage roles. Reform argued that higher wages would follow from ending a long-era reliance on low-cost labor, while opponents warned of consequences for public services and communities that rely on migrant staff. The plan also aligns with a wider stance in some factions to reduce net migration and recalibrate welfare access for non-citizens.

As the political debate over migration and welfare continues ahead of elections, Reform emphasized that its proposals would be implemented through an overhaul of visa routes, welfare eligibility, and the status framework for those who arrived in recent years. The party asserted that the reforms would deliver long-term taxpayer savings and a shift in labor markets toward British workers, while critics warned of disruption to essential services and the social fabric of communities.