Scottish Engineering chief executive Paul Sheerin is at times robust in his comments but always appears measured – which is all the more reason why his stark warning about the UK Government’s planned clampdown on immigration should be heeded.

It was interesting, when reflecting on Mr Sheerin’s views detailed in his latest quarterly report for the industry body he heads, to contemplate the detail and substance of these comments relative to what was offered by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer last month.

The tone of Sir Keir’s remarks on May 12 was, as observed by Mr Sheerin and many others, surely something of a surprise. And it was unexpected even with an awareness - having covered this key issue closely over months and years - of Labour’s developing and lamentable stance on immigration.

The Prime Minister declared: “Nations depend on rules – fair rules. Sometimes they’re written down, often they’re not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.”

The “island of strangers” was a striking turn of phrase.

Sir Keir went on: “So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you’re not championing........

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