Owen Jones has said there is a “special place in hell” for Amber Rudd and privileged politicians who “incite bigotry for political gain”.
The Guardian columnist’s comments come after the Home Secretary proposed forcing companies to disclose how many foreign workers they employ.
Rudd said a “tick-box culture” has allowed some firms to get away with not training local people and that ministers will consider if new tests to “ensure people coming here are filling gaps in the labour market, not taking jobs British people could do” should be imposed.
Rudd’s comments sparked a fierce backlash, with Jones accusing the Tory politician of peddling “anti-foreigner demagoguery”.
In a series of tweets the 32-year-old criticised Rudd and “privileged politicians” who push their agenda at the expense of others.
Jones said that “history will damn” such politicians and then goes on to mention Rudd specifically.
Jones also takes aim at Theresa May for claiming there’s an “out of touch elite who doesn’t understand working-class Britain” before posting a screenshot of Rudd’s Wikipedia page.
Adam Sich, who works at The Guardian, commented on Jones’ tweet, saying his wife was worries about whether she will be allowed to work when the foreigner lists are compiled.
But some thought that the proposals addressed the concerns of “working folk who have been ignored”.
In Rudd’s first speech to the Conservative Party conference as Home Secretary, she laid out plans to cut migration into the UK.
Rudd said ministers will launch a consultation on whether businesses and universities should face stringent new tests before they are allowed to recruit workers and students from overseas.