Ed Balls tells hospitality industry to call on government for change

Former shadow chancellor of the exchequer Ed Balls took to the stage this morning to discuss this week's general election at the British Hospitality Association's Hospitality and Tourism Summit 2017.

Balls talked about the various potential outcomes of the nearing general election (8 June) and said no matter the result, it was imperative that the government must focus on growth and creating jobs in the hospitality industry.

He said: "Recently we have seen an increase of people in jobs on high wages, and those on low wages. The amount of people on median incomes has fallen staggeringly, resulting in a squeeze on incomes. Now more than ever, the public, alongside the Conservative and Labour parties, are calling for change.

Balls also spoke about Brexit and immigration, saying that “British people do not want to shut the doors” on migrants.

He said: “The current migration system needs to be controlled and managed, it’s going too fast and we don’t have the right kind of protections. Therefore, finding a way through Brexit negotiations to make migration work that is fair and managed as part of our terms is doable, but hard.”

According to the British Hospitality Association, the hospitality industry employs over 4.5 million people, making it the UK’s fourth biggest sector.

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