The time has come for politicians to talk honestly about immigration. The past few weeks have been dominated by stories of refugees crossing the English Channel on boats.

But what hasn’t been talked about is the labour shortages that are desperately hampering this country’s economy.

Even Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer used his speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) conference in Birmingham to encourage businesses to invest in training up workers already here.

While that should be welcomed, it doesn’t deal with the imminent issue of labour shortages right now.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer (left) leaves the stage with CBI President Brian McBride after delivering a speech during the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) annual conference. PIC: Jacob King/PA Wire

The latest forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows that the UK economy will contract more than any of the other G7 countries, with Britain suffering from inflation exacerbated by worker shortages and “untargeted” energy support. This highlights the need for the country to tackle labour shortages now and training up workers will take time.

In the long-run, Britain will still have to rely on workers coming over here and plugging gaps in the economy to an extent. Especially as the population continues to age.

And it isn’t just about skills. Many migrant workers have been doing jobs that those born here do not wish to do. Aspiration amongst younger people needs to be encouraged and with that you also have to acknowledge that often low-skilled jobs will need to be filled by someone. We can’t allow fruit and veg to rot in the fields due to a shortage of workers.

It is also incumbent on policymakers to responsibly articulate the issues around immigration. Incendiary language such as describing immigrants as an “invasion” to drive a political agenda is not only unhelpful but also dangerous.

Time to have an honest conversation about immigration - The Yorkshire Post says