Cable aims to water down Conservative IT immigration policy

Wants to ensure foreign companies can set up and bring specialist staff to the UK

Cable launches bid to water down conservative IT immigration policy

Business secretary Vice Cable is looking to water down Conservative immigration curbs to enable firms to bring in IT and other specialist staff.

He broke ranks at the Liberal Democrat Party conference in Liverpool to warn the government it must be "very careful" about the way the policy is implemented.

Cable said said he was speaking out for business, and although he did not name individual businesses or particular skills, he said: “Conservative colleagues and myself want to see this policy work in a way that demonstrates that Britain is open for business.

“We want foreign investors to set up here and create jobs but they need to be able to bring people in and out, they need specialist staff."

Cable praised Tory Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin for having raised the issue at a fringe meeting in Liverpool when he said to delegates: “We have to be very careful. We have to be very sure that the caps we set are consistent with what our economy needs."

Cable has made his own opposition to the Tory immigration policy plain, although it was a key plank in the Tories' election manifesto and part of the Coalition agreement which he has had to accept.

In the past he has said that companies wanting to import staff are switching investment elsewhere because they cannot function properly for lack of key employees including management and specialist engineers.