Boris Johnson has been accused of a marketing stunt after unveiling a new visa to attract top brains to the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister is starting a Global Talent scheme to attract the world’s leading scientist, researchers and mathematicians, and he’ll boast it has a fast track application system and no cap on the number of people who can enter the United Kingdom.
But the visa it’s succeeding already allows some applicants a fast track option and has never hit its cap of 2,000 people, and it appears that this is nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
Altering the name of a visa and lifting a cap that’s never been hit is not a serious plan, and the new visa will come with a £60 million a year in cash to increase funding for new PhDs and increase the number of maths fellowships, and it will succeed the current Tier 1 Exceptional Talent route which was used successfully by 550 people in 2018/19.
The Home Office said the new system will extend eligibility and allow more people a fast track process, as long as they’re approved by the appropriate UK body.
It comes after the Home Secretary announced the number of available fellowships which offer an accelerated endorsement for visas for scientists wanting to conduct research in the United Kingdom, which would double from 62 to more than 120.
UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive Professor Sir Mark Walport stated the visa would underline the importance of research and innovation to the eventual success of the United Kingdom.
And Boris Johnson stated that he wanted to convey a message that the United Kingdom, which is open to the most gifted minds in the world, and that they stand ready to support them to turn their ideas into reality.
These changes are set to come into force on February 20, and it comes as the Migration Advisory Committee prepares to report on proposals for the Tories new points-based immigration system and immigration cap for the United Kingdom.
But Home Secretary Priti Patel stated that British business has been far too reliant on low skilled and quite frankly cheap labour from the EU and the Government believes it’s about time that businesses began to invest in people across the entirety of the United Kingdom.
This appears to be yet another splendid idea that Boris has had, like the Boris bridge between Britain and Ireland and the bus where you hop on at the rear if you don’t want to pay or is this simply another public relations exploit?
The truth is actually that in a declining Britain, there’s so much talent which is moving abroad, yet we willingly let immigrants in and push our own away, perhaps it’s because the immigrant talent is more affordable?
While our Government line their pockets and our people get nothing, along with a typical f*ck you, along with it, and research scientists, which government claim we require to draw for projected growth doesn’t go to our country and they go to the country which will give the most desirable funding for their projects.
The United Kingdom currently funds scientific research to the tune of around £12 billion, and also before we came out of the EU around another £1 billion from them.
We’re renowned worldwide for underfunding our scientific projects, so why would we expect an influx of brains, when 20 odd miles over the water, the EU offers funding of about £110 billion per year?
We might attract some, but I doubt this offer will be viewed by many as an offer they can’t resist.
Also, any non-EU scientist who wants to travel to an EU country, even for shopping or holiday will require a visa.
Whereas if they work in the EU, whilst they’ll require a visa initially, once got, they will be free to explore the other 27 EU countries, so it’s a no brainer unless of course, you want to visit or work in the United Kingdom and not go elsewhere.
Sadly, the likes of Boris Johnson still think that you can mislead the crudely educated electorate most of the time with PR stunts, but the United Kingdom now has very little to offer such people, especially with the United Kingdom no longer being involved to any great extent with the EU, and the USA becoming more insular in what it accepts from other countries, including the United Kingdom.
