In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President and Vice President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature (like this one, for Vice President) plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.
For too long, the national conversation on immigration has been dominated by fear, misinformation, and division. As Liberal Democrats, we know better. We see immigration not as a problem to be solved, but as a vital, enriching, and profoundly liberal force that has helped shape the Britain we love.
The evidence is clear, and the case is compelling. Immigration isn’t just a part of modern Britain; it’s the very thread that weaves together the tapestry of our nation’s progress and success.
Our NHS: The Beating Heart of a Liberal Nation
The National Health Service is a core Liberal Democrat value. We know that to protect it, we must embrace the talent and dedication of people from all over the world. Walk into any hospital or care home and you will see it for yourself: doctors, nurses, and caregivers from every corner of the globe, working tirelessly to keep us safe. They are not just ‘filling gaps’—they are the backbone of our health service. Their expertise saves lives, their compassion comforts families, and their presence ensures the NHS can continue to be a source of national pride.
Powering Our Economy, Fuelling Our Ambition
Liberals believe in open, dynamic economies where innovation and enterprise thrive. Immigration is a powerful engine for just that. Immigrants are not a drain on our resources; they are a source of immense economic strength. They pay taxes, launch businesses, and create jobs. Research shows time and again that they contribute more in taxes than they take in public services. This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about the energy, creativity, and ambition that fuels new companies and keeps our economy moving forward. From a local cafe to a global tech company, immigrant entrepreneurs are a testament to the power of a modern, open Britain.
Enriching Our Culture, Strengthening Our Communities
Diversity is our strength. A Liberal Britain is a diverse one, and our culture has been profoundly enriched by the contributions of people from around the world. From our high streets to our festivals, this influence is visible and delicious! But it’s about more than just food. It’s about the music, art, and traditions that bring communities together and make our towns and cities more vibrant places to live. When we celebrate Diwali, Eid, or Chinese New Year, we aren’t just celebrating a single culture; we are celebrating the multicultural Britain we have built together. This spirit of openness is what makes us truly a global nation.
Building a Smarter, Younger Britain
We know that Britain faces the challenge of an ageing population. The answer isn’t to retreat and close our borders; it’s to welcome the younger workers who can sustain our economy, fund our pensions, and power our public services. This is a common-sense solution.
Furthermore, our universities are a magnet for the world’s brightest students. When these international students come to Britain, they not only enrich our classrooms with new ideas but also contribute significantly to our local economies. Many will go on to work in critical fields like science and technology, while others will become lifelong ambassadors for the UK.
As Liberal Democrats, we stand for an open, compassionate, and prosperous Britain. We know that immigration is not a burden but an incredible asset. It strengthens our economy, enriches our culture, and keeps our public services running. Let’s champion this positive, powerful truth and reject the politics of division. A progressive, global Britain is a diverse Britain.
* Kamran Hussain was a candidate for Vice President in 2025 and is a managing partner/solicitor.
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12 Comments
Thank you for this Kamran. We need to get on the front foot with immigration and show it’s benefits. For too long we have left the discu8to the far (¬ so far) right to dominate.
Congratulaltions, Kamran, for having the courage to put a pro-immigration stance at the top of your list, no “ifs,” no “buts.” Would that there were more like you (and on the EU too)
This is a great piece Kamran. Sensible, common sense arguments that place immigration and diversity at the heart of our liberalism. Proud to support you for Vice President
I find it profoundly disappointing when intelligent people (and Lib Dems often are the most intelligent political grouping in the UK) somehow manage to decide that some particular complex multifaceted issue is indisputably a totally wonderful thing or alternately totally awful – because we all know that every issue comes with both its benefits and problems and the job of good politicians is to find a way to maximise the benefits and minimise the problems across our entire society – not to ignore them.
Recent history has shown that Immigration is the most complex and divisive of all these issues and certainly not the simplest to resolve.
Just going back to 1997, Tony Blair made a decision to allow huge amounts of immigration from the EU. This was great for a substantial number of skilled tradesmen from Eastern Europe who could earn massively more money in the UK as plumbers, builders, gardeners, electricians etc which they could then use to return home and buy a house etc, setting themselves up for life – the poor living conditions they put up with in the UK were acceptable in the short term for the long term gain. Equally it was great for middle class Brits who hadn’t been able to find workers to do jobs cheaply. It was bad news for trainee British builders, gardeners, electricians etc whose wages were supressed and could never afford a home of their own.
Every one of us needs to be prepared to look at both aspects.
@David Evans. You have it the wrong way round. People came from the EU to do skilled tradesmens’ work precisely because there was a shortage of home grown tradesmen or possibly people willing to do that sort of work. There never enough trainees anyway and outside the EU, that problem has not got better. Incidentally, there are similar problems in Greece, where much of this work is done by Albanians and in some places immigrants from the UK. (In Greece, my electrician and plumbers are from the UK or Germany and building/gardening work is done by Albanians)
In short, if there is no work, people stop coming.
We must welcome people who move here and laud their contribution to tax, and very important roles in the NHS and the wider economy.
Many of these tradesmans’ jobs and farm labouring are referred to as ‘immigrants jobs’, perversely by many of those who shout loudest about immigration.
Hi Mick,
I’m sorry but on this occasion it is you who have it totally wrong and I worry why that is.
Skilled workers didn’t come to solve our shortage of skilled workers. They came to earn more money they could at home. I know – I employed three on different occasions and their story was all the same, ‘I can earn several times more in the UK than at home. Accommodation is poor here, but it’s only for a few years.’
German, French and Swedish plumbers did not come in their droves. They were better off staying at home.
As for your comment “In short, if there is no work, people stop coming,” it is totally meaningless. There is always work needing to be done! Also people will come if they can earn significantly more here than their home country (allowing for all the disadvantages).
Why do you say “We *must* welcome people who move here.” You might have had a different view if you were a 16 year old wanting to train as a plumber and no one was willing to take you on because foreigners were cheaper.
I really cannot understand how you can ignore these points. I know you have empathy with unemployed youngsters in the UK, but don’t they deserve a welcome to our society when they leave school in the form of a job that pays a decent wage, not one that only pays a decent wage if your family live in Eastern Europe?
Please try looking at it from all sides. There really are disadvantages to those in the UK who are less fortunate than we were/are. We should seek to minimise these problems and preferably totally offset them, not ignore.
All the best,
David
Given the current hateful discourse on immigration from Nigel Farage, this piece is such a useful rejoinder on how much this country has benefited from immigration. We don’t talk about the contributions of immigrants anywhere near as much as we talk about the tiny number of people who come on small boats. Why not celebrate the CEOs and Nobel Prize winners a little more?
Yes, we could certainly do a better job of integrating those who are newly arrived (e.g., free English classes, neighbourhood welcome committees). Yes, we can end up creating a dependency on migrants for specific jobs (nurses, doctors, builders) because we’re unwilling to pay for training at home. Yes, some people game the system. But right now, at this very moment, if we let Farage and Reform convince British voters that immigrants should be deported, then we just need to look over the pond to see how this plays out.
Yes, let’s fix the system. But let’s do a little more celebrating on how immigrants have enriched this country too.
I agree with David Evans that we have to understand the displacement (actual or perceived) of people in Britain by better-trained and more determined immigrants. Cuts in services, education and training have reduced opportunities for ‘the left behind. The Conservative insistence on replacing training schemes with the apprenticeship levy was a disaster for skills training. Big housing companies, e.g., have found it easier to recruit workers from eastern Europe than to have to train them here. Spending more on local services, FE and apprenticeships has to be part of our response to discontent about immigration.
And to add: it has not been a matter of British people not wanting to learn skills. I recall that one year the apprenticeship scheme run by Bradford’s social housing organization had 400 applications for 10 places. Long-distance truck driving, on the other hand, has run short of applicants, reportedly because (understandably) the rising generation dislike having to be on the road overnight and sleeping in the cab…
As I understand it, there are two separate debates taking place on immigration. There is one debate around the appropriate level for legal immigration, with one extreme wanting no net migration into the country and the other extreme advocating, effectively, for open borders. There second debate is around how we should deal with those who are in the UK without legal permission, either by deliberately overstaying after the expiry of a visa, or by entering the UK without permission (including those who are economic migrants but claim asylum to prevent their removal.)
Most people understand the benefits we get from attracting people with the skills we need to the UK, and would support a sensible immigration policy that has that effect. However, my experience suggests that most people object to people moving to the UK without permission, apart from genuine asylum seekers, and believe they should be removed speedily. Farage and Reform are ahead in the polls because they appear to be in tune with public opinion on this topic.
Labour under Fptp had favourable electoral conditions at the last GE. It won’t get them again. Their vote share didn’t change much from 2019 such is the of our voting system.
You must fear for them if there is an economic downturn. All across the progressive left support is hemorrhaging in post industrial towns as voters are becoming hardened to immigration, cultural & identity politics. Don’t underestimate the loss of integrity this has on many voters. They only need to walk through their local town centre to reinforce a government failure to tackle an issue they were voted in for.