The leader of a Reform UK council has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calling on the Government to relax planned changes to some visas. Linden Kemkaran, who took over as leader of Kent County Council (KCC) after Reform’s landslide election victory earlier this year, expressed “grave concern” over Government proposals to tighten visas for health and care workers.
Reform, which has made reducing net migration one of its most important aims, is experiencing a surge in popularity. This saw Nigel Farage’s party take control of 10 authorities, including Kent, in May’s local elections. In the letter, Ms Kemkaran and Diane Morton, KCC’s cabinet member for social care, warned the changes could lead to an exodus of overseas workers and “leave providers on a cliff edge”.
“Due to the challenges facing the adult social care system in general, and care providers in particular, we urge you to reconsider these changes and look forward to your support in addressing these urgent pressing matters,” they warned, according to The Guardian.
The letter, which also warned of the impact of National Insurance contributions introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, was addressed to both Ms Cooper and Care Minister Stephen Kinnock.
The social care worker visa route is set to close later this month under the new Immigration Bill.
It means companies will either have to hire British nationals or extend the visas of overseas staff already in the UK.
The Reform councillors said across Kent there are “approximately 150 providers we are aware of who have sponsorship licences”.
They added: “Paired with the changes announced in the Autumn Budget in 2024 that resulted in changes to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025, this is totally unsustainable, and the risk is that many care workers at this level will go home and leave providers on a cliff edge.”
It is said Reform is yet to confirm its position on the issue at a national level.
A Government spokesperson told the BBC: “The expansion of the Health and Care route to include care workers has led to significant concerns over abuse and exploitation of workers from overseas.
“We have taken steps to address these concerns, but the evidence has shown that more needed to be done, which is why we are closing the route to overseas recruitment.”
