Scottish Labour MPs hit out as man faces deportation
Stainbank said Farouq Ahmed, a graduate of the University of Stirling, has worked at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in a frontline role, helping to deliver child maintenance enforcement services.
The Labour MP added that despite Ahmed's contribution to the public service, along with being an active member in his local community, and a record of following the rules, he now faces removal from the UK after his visa was refused due to not meeting the revised salary threshold.
READ MORE: Labour 'block' vote on giving Scotland immigration powers
'Farouq's story is heartbreaking and infuriating. He has done everything right—he came here legally, studied hard, worked in public service, paid his taxes, and made a real difference to families across the UK while living and contributing to Falkirk,' Stainbank said.
(Image: Euan Stainbank)
'To now be threatened with removal due to an arbitrary salary threshold is counterproductive.
'This is yet another example of the damaging legacy left behind by the Conservative Government's panicked reaction to their broken immigration system. These rules weren't designed with fairness or common sense in mind—they were driven by political expediency and a Tory Government who knew their policies were failing.'
Ahmed is one of dozens of local DWP workers being represented by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer in April demanding that the scheme's rules be addressed urgently.
Stainbank added: 'Farouq and those like him are not a statistic—he's a hardworking civil servant who has worked tirelessly for children to receive the support they're due. He contributes to the system every day, and it is frankly disgraceful that the system is now turning its back on him.'
Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman also met with representatives from the PCS union and heard directly from those affected by the changes to the scheme.
(Image: Brian Leishman MP)
He said it is 'baffling' that government rules are punishing people like Ahmed who work for DWP because their wages are 'lagging far behind' other departments.
'The Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship salary thresholds and criteria, introduced by the previous Tory government, should be changed to allow hard-working DWP staff to stay,' Leishman said.
'I have previously met with PCS officials as well as constituents of my own who are worried about their families' future in Alloa and Grangemouth – despite doing everything right.
'DWP workers such as Farouq have done so much to contribute positively to our society, yet they are now being denied the opportunity to remain working simply because their pay is lagging far behind other government departments.
'With the DWP facing a staffing shortage, it is baffling to see that the government's own rules will see hundreds of experienced staff dismissed.'
He added: 'Farouq and others have sought to contribute meaningfully to our society, we should be grateful that they chose the UK to study, live and work.
'I stand firmly with the affected workers. The DWP and Home Office must do more to resolve the issue before families are removed from the UK.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
£200 payment for state pensioners born before 1959 to be made soon
The one-off payment is worth at least £200 and is being paid out to pensioners as part of the Winter Fuel Payment scheme. This cash boost will automatically land in bank accounts later this year Around nine million pensioners are set to receive a payment of at least £200 as part of the Winter Fuel Payment scheme. With the current cost of living affecting many UK households, this financial support has been designed to help older people cover the cost of heating bills during the colder months. If you were born before September 22, 1959, you could be entitled between £100 and £300 to help you pay your heating bills for this winter. This payment is also known as 'Winter Fuel Payment', which is a one-off payment. This cash boost will automatically land in bank accounts later this year, with no need for individuals to claim it. Those eligible will receive the money between the months of November and December, ahead of the winter season and Christmas time. Thanks to changes in eligibility rules, millions more pensioners will benefit from this support this year. This means that many who missed out on the winter allowance in 2024 can anticipate this bonus in the coming year. Labour initially stripped millions of pensioners of this benefit before being compelled to reverse their decision. Now, approximately 75% of seniors, those earning less than £35,000, will retain this cash boost. Those under 80 will receive £200, while those over 80 will be granted £300, reports Birmingham Live. Winter Fuel Payments typically hit bank accounts in November, ensuring everyone has the funds in time for Christmas. Initially, all pensioners will receive the cash. As per the latest reports, around 11.6 million people received a Winter Fuel Payment in 2023-2024, an increase of 214,000 from the previous year, and numbers grow every year. However, it's important to note that HMRC will reclaim it from those whose incomes exceed the threshold of £35,000. Earlier this year, the Government backtracked on its unpopular decision to alter the winter fuel scheme. This follows the government's announcement to cut the Winter Fuel Payment in July 2024, removing the eligibility to millions of pensioners. However, after significant backlash, Prime Minister Keir Starmer committed in May 2025 to easing the cuts, expanding the eligibility to receive the one-off payment. By doing so, millions of pensioners will be able to receive the extra funds to help cover energy costs and household bills during the upcoming season. This is especially important to those with fixed incomes, offering relief and stability in the current cost-of-living situations.
Telegraph
16 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Labour's farm tax architect calls for fresh capital gains raid
The adviser behind Labour's inheritance tax raid on farmers has called on Rachel Reeves to raise capital gains tax to plug gaps in public finances. Arun Advani, of the left-leaning Centre for the Analysis of Taxation think tank, said that the Government should 'start by fixing capital gains tax' if it wanted to 'tax wealth better'. It comes as business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, ruled out Labour MPs' 'daft' demands for a 'magic wealth tax', urging backbenchers to 'be serious'. The Chancellor has already raised the rate of capital gains tax to 24pc for higher rate taxpayers, and 18pc for basic rate taxpayers. But Mr Advani, an economics professor at the University of Warwick, told the Mail on Sunday that Labour could double its tax take if it brought capital gains tax in line with income tax. He said: 'The current way capital gains tax is used encourages tax avoidance. If the Government were looking at taxing wealth better, it would be much better to start by fixing capital gains tax.' Labour ministers have previously admitted that Mr Advani's research formed the basis of the inheritance tax raid on farms. The economics professor, who also sits on the advisory board for the Office for Budget Responsibility, wrote a report in 2023 calling for agricultural property relief and other 'loopholes' to be scrapped. A year later, in her maiden Budget, Ms Reeves announced that inherited farms worth more than £1m would be taxed at a rate of 20pc after having been shielded from the levies for decades. A 20pc rate will also be charged on inherited business assets over £1m when someone dies. Mr Advani has since urged Labour to go further and halve agricultural property relief to £500,000. Shadow business secretary, Andrew Griffith, told the Mail that capital gains tax was 'a wealth tax by another name', and that the tax further punished people 'on the higher inflation Labour is causing'. It comes as official figures show a sharp drop in capital gains tax receipts following successive cuts to allowances, suggesting they have backfired. Data published by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on Friday showed the Government's capital gains tax take fell by 18pc to £12bn in the 2023-24 financial year, as the Conservatives halved the annual tax-free allowance to £6,000. HMRC suggested receipts in 2024-25 would drop a further 10pc to £13.1bn as a result of the allowance being cut again – to £3,000. Sarah Coles, of wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown, said there was 'a decent chance that an awful lot of investors were just sitting on gains'. She added: 'It's a classic example of tweaking a tax in order to raise money – and then ending up with less in the long term.' Critics argue that increasing capital gains tax would undermine the Chancellor's drive for economic growth by discouraging investment. Jason Hollands, of wealth manager Evelyn Partners, said: 'If taxes on gains are seen to be too punitive, people will conclude the rewards aren't worth the risk, which would undermine the economy.' However, the OBR predicts capital gains tax receipts to almost double over the next five years to £25.5bn by 2029-30. Laith Khalaf, of stockbroker AJ Bell, said: 'Receipts largely reflect selling activity in the previous tax year, and plenty of people took fright ahead of last October's Budget and decided to sell up, in case of a capital gains tax raid. 'As things turned out, the Chancellor's changes to capital gains tax for individuals were relatively modest, but those who disposed of assets at a substantial profit ahead of the Budget will still be on the hook for capital gains tax, especially now the annual amount of gains you can make before paying the tax has been cut to just £3,000.' The Treasury was approached for comment.
Rhyl Journal
19 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
Swinney calls for legal referendum if SNP secures majority at Holyrood election
Writing in a column in the Daily Record, Mr Swinney said that in the 17 years since the 2008 financial crash 'people feel like they are working harder than ever, but not seeing any improvement in their living standards'. He said the UK economy is 'fundamentally failing to deliver for ordinary people' as well as generating insufficient funding for public services. The SNP leader called for the May 2026 Holyrood elections to be 'a springboard for Scotland taking charge of our own destiny'. He said the situation had got worse since the 2014 referendum, and wrote: 'Think what could have been achieved had we not been forced to spend so much time and money trying to mitigate the ongoing damage of Brexit. 'Or the carnage unleashed by Liz Truss's mini-budget. Or the years of austerity, or Westminster cuts like the Winter Fuel Payment. 'We were told we didn't need independence and we just needed a Labour government – but look how that has turned out.' He wrote that 'independence is the catalyst that will deliver a better future for us all' and that 'with Scotland's energy resources in Scotland's hands, we can reduce bills for consumers and cut costs for businesses'. Mr Swinney revealed he hoped to deliver an SNP majority similar to 2011 in a bid to 'secure a legal referendum recognised by all' and had submitted a motion to the SNP conference proposing that 'we work to deliver a majority of SNP MSPs in the Scottish Parliament to secure that referendum'. He pledged to unveil 'radical policies that we know will transform Scotland' in the coming months, and to 'break the logjam and end this frustration that we all feel'. Mr Swinney added: 'We must be ready to follow the path which we know can lead us to an independent state.' Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: 'John Swinney is like a broken record. In a bid to silence internal critics of his weak leadership, he has thrown diehard nationalists some more red meat on the one issue they all agree on: independence. 'Ordinary Scots are sick and tired of the SNP's obsession with breaking up the UK. 'The public want John Swinney to focus on fixing the damage his government has done in decimating essential services such as schools and the NHS at the same time as making Scotland the highest taxed part of the UK.'
