As you will most probably know the country has been consumed by the subject of the EU referendum, with both Leave and Stay campaigners saying pretty much anything they can to get the nation on side.
Today the subject of the curry industry has been dragged into this multi-strand debate, with Employment Minister and the Government’s “Diaspora Champion”, Priti Patel, sat at the centre of it.
In a recent interview Patel claimed that to save this struggling industry we need to shut the door on immigrants from Poland and elsewhere, a stance that The Independent journalist branded as ‘divide and rule politics of the worst kind’.
Today The Independent read:
‘The crisis in Britain’s curry industry could easily be solved in a stroke of Priti Patel’s pen by lowering the minimum salary requirement for chefs, but she has failed to address this vital issue and is now conveniently using the EU as a scapegoat’.
Keith Vax, the journalist, continued on the subject of curry house closures, displaying a stance that rather opposes Patel’s.
‘The heart of the problem is the current visa scheme which has set a salary threshold of £29,750 for chefs, much higher than the average salary for cooks in curry houses. This makes It extremely difficult for the nation’s curry restaurants to recruit chefs from abroad.’.
As an industry valued at £3.6bn, employing over 100,000 people it is understandable why this is a hot topic. Let us know what you think, would a ‘Leave’ vote have an impact on the curry industry. We welcome your opinions.