James O'Brien's immediate reaction to the UK's new immigration system
19 February 2020, 11:06 | Updated: 19 February 2020, 11:09
This is James O'Brien's moving reaction to the government's post-Brexit immigration system which will deny visas to "low-skilled workers."
Nick Ferrari challenged the Home Secretary over new points-based system and pointed out that she herself would not be here under her proposed plans.
James said he found the plans "obnoxious."
"If the EU were to fully reciprocate on these grounds then highly educated high earners aren't going to lose any freedom of movement at all. But if you earn less than £25,000 a year and the EU fully reciprocates in any way, you won't be retiring to Spain any time soon without passing a Spanish test."
The term low-skilled worker is "really obnoxious," said James, "if the people currently looking after your very sick grandfather are low-skilled workers, what message are we sending today? I tell you what message we're sending them today: you're not welcome here."
"What message are we sending to people that ensure the free flow of food from field to market? Yeah, you're not welcome here. What message are we sending to the people who wait our tables, serve our drinks? Yeah, you're not welcome here."
James asked how people who were born here feel about the government branding them "inferior" to James, simply because of their salary.
"In the eyes of the government you are an inferior member of society, you are less welcome here than I am. Because the measures that they put in place to keep the anti-immigration lobby happy apply to people and you are people, although obviously people are very keen that you forget this temporarily, you are people. You are a person.
"Who precisely are these proposals designed to delight?"
Watch the monologue above.
