Public backs higher immigration to deliver growth, Cabinet minister insists amid split

The public backs higher skilled immigration if it will deliver economic growth, a Liz Truss ally has insisted, amid a Cabinet split on the crucial issue.

Nadhim Zahawi called for looser rules to allow in more engineers to deliver infrastructure projects and backed high numbers of international students – both criticised by Suella Braverman, the home secretary.

“International students are a plus and really positive for our universities and our communities,” the Cabinet Office minister said.

The prime minister’s self-declared “chief operating officer” added: “Let’s look at gigabit broadband. We need more engineers who can splice the actual technology together to deliver gigabit broadband.

“If we need another 200 or 300 engineers to come in to be able to do that at pace, I think people will support that,” he told Sky News.

The comments come after The Independent revealed No 10 is attempting to sideline the home secretary to thwart her hostility to relaxed immigration rules – which Ms Truss sees as vital to her growth plan.

Business leaders pushing for more foreign workers to plug huge labour shortages have been urged to ignore the Home Office and lobby other departments to “make their case”.

In morning interviews, Mr Zahawi also:

* Suggested the next general election will be in autumn 2024 – saying the crisis-hit Truss government has “24 months to deliver”.

* Dismissed fears of energy blackouts as “highly unlikely” – saying: “I’m confident that, come Christmas, come the bad weather, we will continue to be in that resilient place.”

* Confirmed No 10 blocked a public information campaign to encourage households to save energy – saying it would not be “prudent” to spend the £14m suggested by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary.

* Said Conor Burns has been treated fairly after he was sacked – rather than suspended from the government – while a misconduct complaint is investigated.

* Declined to say whether he backed a call from a health expert for people to avoid visiting vulnerable relatives, as Covid rates soar – but said they should “be sensible”.

* Called the Truss government “a new administration” – when it was pointed out the Tories have been in power for 12 years.

Mr Zahawi dismissed suggestions that the prime minister’s position is in peril – despite admitting there is “plotting” – telling the BBC: “No, I think what the party will do is get behind Liz Truss.”

Asked if he could contemplate the Tory party asking Boris Johnson to come back, he said: “No I can’t. I think the previous prime minister is rightly telling anyone who is willing to listen... telling all colleagues ‘get behind Liz’”.

Mr Zahawi denied Ms Braverman and Penny Mordaunt, another defeated leadership candidate, had fuelled Cabinet infighting, saying: “We have Cabinet collective responsibility.”