London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been begging Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to open the floodgates to more EU migrants.
Khan, who won his third term in City Hall last month, claimed those aged between 18 and 30 should be allowed to live, study and work in the capital as part of a youth mobility scheme.
The European Commission put forward proposals allowing young people to move to the UK for up to four years for any purpose, with family members able to join them thereafter.
Khan stressed he would “make the case” to the Labour leader and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
Speaking to Politico, the London Mayor said: “I can’t introduce a youth mobility scheme without the Government supporting this, so one of the points I’ll be making to a new Labour Government is how a skill shortage and the labour shortage is affecting our economy.
“Allowing those between 18 and 30 to come to London – and vice versa, by the way – is so important in relation to hospitality, in relation to the night-time economy, in relation to culture, in relation to social care, healthcare and other sectors where there are record numbers of vacancies.”
However, Southside rejected the proposals last month.
A Labour Party spokesperson argued there were “no plans for a youth mobility scheme”.
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Khan, a Brexit basher who previously supported holding a second referendum on EU membership, claimed that when young people from the EU return to their home countries “and are chief executives or investors… or are prime ministers and presidents, that has a pull factor”.
He said: “They will want to invest in London, and so I’ll be making that case to Rachel and Keir should they have the privilege of being the Chancellor and Prime Minister.”
Khan pledged in his manifesto to create a replacement for the Erasmus scheme.
Speaking about Erasmus, which enabled young people to study abroad, Khan said: “Brexit has had a profound impact on young people who didn’t get a say in determining the country’s future.”
However, the Government replaced Erasmus with the so-called Turing Scheme.
A Government explainer said: “Unlike the Erasmus Scheme, which was mainly EU focused, the Turing Scheme is a truly global programme with every country in the world eligible to partner with UK education settings. This year over 150 countries are involved.”
The debate comes as Brexiteer Bob Lyddon outlined his concerns about Labour "dancing to Brussels' tune" if Starmer wins on July 4.
He told The Daily Express: “Even if Labour promises not to rejoin the EU, it will ape it and, when opportune whistle up a case to re-enter the Customs Union and Single Market – after adopting 'dynamic alignment', a phrase that might better be rendered as ‘dancing to Brussels’ tune’ or ‘when Brussels says jump, Labour says 'how high?'"
Lyddon added: “The paper’s contents have been confirmed by Labour’s publications and utterances since the election was announced.”
