STOKING THE FLAMES

U.K. Defends Proposal to Require Companies to List Foreign Workers

Opponents say proposed policy is racist.

Britain’s Conservative Party is facing criticism for a proposed new policy that would require U.K. companies to submit a list of their foreign workers, fending off charges of racism and xenophobia. Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Wednesday defended the policy, which was offered up at the annual Conservative Party conference this week. “We mustn’t ignore the fact that people do want to talk about immigration; if I want to talk about immigration, don’t call me a racist,” she said on BBC Radio 4. “We should be able to have a conversation about immigration, about what skills we want to have in the U.K. and where we need to go to get them, in order to help business and boost our economy.” Andy Burnham, a member of the opposition Labour Party, dubbed the conservatives the “Nasty Party” over the proposal.