Tory MP warns Boris Johnson ‘crops are rotting in the fields’ due to labour shortages

Boris Johnson has rejected a plea to introduce emergency work visas after Conservative MP Roger Gale warned that "crops are rotting in the fields" of his constituency due to labour shortages.

Mr Gale, who represents Thanet, claimed producers in his local area have had to throw away £320,000 worth of produce because there are not enough workers to pick it or transport it to market.

Despite the issue, the prime minister rejected a plea to immediately introduce a Covid recovery visa, suggesting there has been a "problem for a long time" in the industry.