UK - Government declares that "Firms have a duty to hire Britons" but what are the implications for employers?

Employers have a social responsibility to take on and train local young people, rather than taking the "easy option" of employing skilled workers from overseas, a Tory minister has said. In recent media interviews, skills minister Matthew Hancock said businesses that give local youngsters on-the-job training end up with more loyal and motivated workers. Employing more local workers would also aid economic recovery, he argued, calling on businesses to consider their social duty as well as commercial interests. His controversial comments are reminiscent of Gordon Brown's 2007 call for "British jobs for British workers" - and sparked similarly fierce debate. Surely such an approach amounts to discrimination, and downplays the merits of a flexible labour market? Or is it time for UK businesses that rely on migrant workers to rethink their recruitment culture?

Government declares that "Firms have a duty to hire Britons" but what are the implications for employers?