A Government minister is set for prickly talks over its controversial proposed post-Brexit immigration policy which business and politicians fear could cripple Cumbria’s tourism industry.

Business minister Kelly Tolhurst agreed to meet Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron after he urged to the Government to scrap its “awful” immigration proposals for workers from the European Union after Brexit.

The MP along with organisations including Cumbria Tourism, UK Inbound, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce and scores of businesses in the sector have raised serious concerns over the potential £30,000 wage threshold for workers from the EU when Britain leaves the bloc.

The average hospitality wage in Cumbria stands at £17,000.

Fears continue to rise as Brexit looms over a policy that would make it much harder for local businesses to recruit workers from overseas.

A recent survey of Cumbria’s Tourism’s 2,500-strong membership revealed recruitment and retention of staff is the number one issue they faced given the county’s ageing population.

Speaking afterward raising the issue in the House of Commons, Mr Farron said: “The hospitality industry in Cumbria are rightly up in arms about the Government's deeply damaging immigration plans.

“With around 20,000 non-UK staff working in the hospitality industry in The Lakes and only around 500 people registered as unemployed in South Lakeland, it’s crystal clear how reliant we are on people coming to work from overseas. 

“I won't stop banging on the Government’s door about this until they finally wake up and scrap these awful plans.”

Calls for a policy u-turn ramped up following the Conservative Party’s sweeping victor in December’s General Election. 

Cumbria’s tourism and hospitality sector supports around 65,000 jobs – with around a third carried out by non-UK workers.

While the Migration Advisory Committee – which is guiding the Government on its post Brexit EU immigration policy – has been asked to take a fresh look at the cap, with a revised figure of £22,500 now being floated, it remains way above the average wage in Cumbria. 

Elsewhere, Mr Farron has also demanded urgent action from the Government to close a tax loophole on second homes.

He is set to meet Housing Minister Esther McVey to raise concerns that second homeowners can avoid paying any council tax whatsoever by claiming that, as they rent out their second home, it can be classed as a small business.

Mr Farron said the situation was causing serious economic problems in South Lakeland but was also costing the Government millions in lost tax.