Own goal on Brexit? Lords to question sporting bodies on impact of ending freedom of movement for sportspeople
The House of Lords EU Home Affairs Sub-Committee will continue to take evidence for its inquiry Brexit: movement of people in the fields of sport and culture on Wednesday 21 February.
UK and EU professional sport players currently enjoy free movement and have the right to travel within the EU to attend competitions and sporting events. But as the Government seeks to end freedom of movement, the Committee will this week explore what future policy should be towards temporary workers, touring teams, or players coming to the UK and abroad to ensure that sports at all levels of competition continue to thrive.
The Committee will take evidence from:
- Brendon Batson OBE, Chairman, Professional Players Federation
- Angus Bujalski, Legal and Governance Director, Rugby Football Union
- James Allen, Director of Policy, Governance and External Affairs, Sports and Recreation Alliance
Questions the witnesses are likely to be asked include:
- Could a move to a more restrictive immigration system involving greater costs in bringing workers and players to the UK come at the expense of higher prices for consumers, for items such as tickets to sporting events?
- What other steps should be taken to manage the transition to a more restrictive immigration system for EU citizens in order to ensure that sports at all levels of competition continue to thrive in the UK?
- How does the Kolpak rule work, and what impact would it have if the UK were no longer bound by these rules post-Brexit?
- If the immigration system for EU migration were to be merged with the existing regime governing migration from non-EU/EEA countries, could we expect to see increased wages or higher employment levels for British workers and players?
The evidence session will begin at 10:30am on Wednesday 21 February and take place in Committee room 3 of the House of Lords.
