Jay Doubleyou: can we have our immigrants back, please?

One of the main reasons people voted for Brexit was 'immigration':

The only problem being that we need the immigrants to do all those low-paid, low-status jobs:

Because nobody else wants to do them:

Now, one of the leading figures pushing for Brexit wants access to cheap EU labour - for his chain of cheap pubs:

Brexiteer Wetherspoons boss says UK needs more EU workers to tackle staff shortage

Tim Martin, who has previously called for the UK to leave the single market, said he now backs a "reasonably liberal" immigration system, blaming a "low birth rate" for a shortage of staff in the hospitality sector

Former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood posted on Twitter : “I remember disagreeing with Tim Martin on @bbcquestiontime about this, back in 2016. He was arguing the opposite position to this then. Too late mate.”

Clive Watson, executive chairman of the City Pub Group, told The Telegraph that there are "just not the bodies out there to perform roles in the hospitality industry". As a result, he said, some places are now not opening at lunchtime.

Brexiteer Wetherspoons boss says UK needs more EU workers to tackle staff shortage - Mirror Online

Here are more perspectives from today's news:

According to trade group UK Hospitality, Brexit has added to the problem, as more EU workers return to their home countries.

James Reed, chief executive of the Reed employment agency, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the firm was advertising 275,000 new jobs in the sector in May. When we added them up we had more jobs in May than in any month since February 2008."

Hotel chain Best Western said it could not open some of its venues at full capacity due to staffing shortages.

Wetherspoons boss denies facing shortage of EU workers - BBC News

With more comment here:

“There are severe staffing shortages,” said Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). “A lot of workers are from Europe, so Brexit has had an impact, and there is the ‘furlough hangover’ where a lot of people have now got other jobs to keep themselves going and are not coming back.”

Severe staff shortages hit UK hospitality venues amid huge rise in bookings | Hospitality industry | The Guardian

The solution? Either allow people in - or make the industry more attractive:

The UK Home Office is being urged to create a ‘coronavirus recovery visa’ for Britain’s hospitality sector, according to a report published by iNews. However, the Home Office is calling on employers to focus on training the domestic workforce. The call from leaders in the hospitality sector comes amid major staffing shortfalls across pubs and restaurants.

Home Office urged to create ‘coronavirus recovery visa’ | Workpermit.com

Hospitality calls for ‘coronavirus recovery visa’ to bring foreign workers back amid staffing shortage

Things have changed over the last year - with workers not prepared to tolerate the low-pay, low-status:

Employers Need To Take Long View Of The Current Skills Shortages

One aspect — which many employers may have failed to anticipate — is that the coronavirus has caused people to reappraise their lives. As Kelly puts it, “employees want more opportunity, more security. They are making demands.” She sees the current situation as an opportunity for a complete overhaul of how companies hire and develop staff. “It’s not good enough to have ad hoc training and development,” she says. “We need professional standards. Skills have got to be recognised and valued.” Better employers will realize that and will treat workers with greater consideration and enjoy the rewards, she says. But others, less enlightened, may not do so well. There is a generation of employees — perhaps emboldened by Uber drivers gaining greater rights — kicking back against what many see as the exploitation of zero-hours contracts and other aspects of the “gig economy.”

The pendulum could be swinging. And only the most short-sighted employers should think that paying their workers a little bit more or giving them the odd perk will halt its progress.

Employers Need To Take Long View Of The Current Skills Shortages

In the short-term, there's a price war out there:

Hospitality in 'wage war' over staff shortages

But in the long term, there will have to be a rethink:

The double whammy of Covid and Brexit has stripped the industry of some of its best workers, some through redundancy, some through finding a better deal elsewhere after a long furlough. Rosalind Mullen looks at the staffing crisis and discovers how some businesses are working to fill their vacancies.

When the latest lockdown measures were loosened, those who have survived the past year could realistically expect to see a rush of business from cooped-up Brits. But when operators sent out the call for staff to return from furlough this spring, they may have had a bitter shock.

What's the solution to hospitality's staffing... - The Caterer

However, everywhere else seems to be having the same problem:

NYC's pandemic-hit hospitality industry faces labor shortage a year on

US job growth crashes below expectations amid labour shortages - CityAM : CityAM

As for the 'solution', the idea of paying people more is not the top one:

7 chief economists on how to solve the pandemic’s labour market paradox – The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com