Kwasi Kwarteng has backed Suella Braverman’s plan to raise the salary threshold for skilled migrants to curb net migration levels. 

The former chancellor said raising the threshold “does make sense” as he admitted net migration numbers are “way in excess” of what the Tories had promised at past general elections. 

Raising the salary threshold from the current level of £26,000 to £40,000 was one of the measures Mrs Braverman allegedly agreed with Rishi Sunak as he sought her support during his Tory leadership bid last year. 

Asked if he would advocate raising the threshold to £40,000, Mr Kwarteng told GB News: “So look, I think a cap and also some sort of points system does make sense. I know Robert Jenrick [the immigration minister] and Suella Braverman well. I think their general approach was a good one.”

Mr Sunak has not denied discussing policy options with Mrs Braverman but Downing Street has rejected any characterisation of it as a deal.

The Prime Minister is under growing pressure from Tory MPs to take action to bring down net migration numbers after official figures for 2022 revealed a new record high of 745,000.

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