Fresh Talent Initiative again undermined as another worker is told to leave

FRESH TALENT INITIATIVE UNDERMINED AS SNP MP’S CONSTITUENT IS TOLD TO LEAVE

‘NEED FOR SCOTTISH SOLUTIONS TO SCOTTISH ISSUES’

SNP Chief Whip and MP for North Tayside today [Thursday 24 June 2004] raised the case of his constituent, Ms Jemima Speed, with Peter Hain, Leader of the House of Commons, at Business questions in the House of Commons.

Ms Speed who is 25 years old and lives in Luncarty in Mr Wishart’s constituency, is an Australian citizen who works in the Isle of Skye Hotel in Perth. Her Visa application was turned down in spite of the Scottish Executive’s fresh talent initiative. Mr Wishart has been involved in helping Ms Speed with her case for some time.

Speaking from the House of Commons today, Pete Wishart MP said:

“Jemima is being treated in a disgraceful manner. She is being forced to leave Scotland in spite of the fact that she has a job, wants to stay and is even planning to get married. She is in fact an ideal candidate for the Scottish Executive’s fresh talent initiative.

“Not only is Scotland under-populated but the population is falling with many young people leaving the country. Ms Speed is exactly the kind of person who we should be trying to encourage to stay in Scotland.

“In this case the Home Office policy of discouraging immigration conflicts with the Scottish Executive policy of encouraging immigration so the Scottish Executive is over-ruled. That is a disgrace and once again underlines why immigration policy needs to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. We need Scottish solutions for Scottish issues not hand-me-down failed policies from London.”