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Lousy immig'ants

Graham Norton, Niall Horan, Arsene Wenger: UK's naughty list of foreign workers would contain familiar names

The plan, under consideration by the Home Office, is designed to ensure British workers get preference for any new jobs.

Wimbledon 2016 - Day Seven - The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Niall Horan of One Direction at Wimbledon in July. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

BRITISH HOME SECRETARY Amber Rudd has proposed that UK companies hand the Government a list of all foreign workers it employs.

The plan, under consideration by the Home Office, is designed to ensure British workers get preference for any new jobs.

The proposal was outlined in Rudd’s speech to the Conservative Party conference yesterday.

It is part of a raft of measures designed to control immigration, including sweeping new restrictions on overseas students, a £140m “controlling migration fund”, and an anti-immigrant clampdown on taxi drivers and landlords.

While the full details of the plan have yet to be published the measures, if enacted, appear designed at all non-British workers, including citizens of all EU countries like the Republic of Ireland.

The London Times reports that it would initially apply to non-EU workers, but be extended to all non-UK staff upon the completion of Brexit.

Here we give you a guide to some high-profile stars of stage, screen and sport who could soon be going on the ruling Conservative Party’s naughty list.

House of Fraser BAFTA TV Awards 2016 - Arrivals - London Graham Norton at the Bafta TV awards 2016. Jonathan Brady Jonathan Brady

Graham Norton, broadcaster

A national treasure in England, the Cork comedian has come a long way from his role as Fr Noel Furlong on Father Ted. Since 2007, he has presented the Graham Norton Show on the BBC, beamed into millions of sitting rooms every Friday night.

As the 21st Century’s answer to Sir Terry Wogan, Norton is also the BBC television commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest, and presents a Saturday morning radio show on BBC2. He is a multiple Bafta-winning presenter.

Niall Horan

With 27.2 million followers on his Twitter account, the Mullingar native is one of Britain’s most popular entertainers due to the durability of the pop group One Direction.

Although he travels widely, he considers London his home, and last night he joked about using the wrong door to get into the passenger seat of a car after travelling back to the UK after a three-month absence.

Professor Louise Richardson comments Leading terrorism scholar Professor Louise Richardson. Danny Lawson / PA Danny Lawson / PA / PA

Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford University.

The head of the University of Oxford – the first woman to hold this role in the 900-year history of the famous institution – is from Tramore in Co Waterford.

She received a BA in History from Trinity College, Dublin, an MA in Political Science from UCLA, and an MA and PhD in Government from Harvard. She was Assistant and Associate Professor in the Harvard Government Department 1989-2001, serving as Head Tutor for several of those years.

In a recent interview, she expressed fears that Brexit will mean a hike in fees for non-EU students. Some 17% of staff at Oxford University are from other EU member states.

“I’ve tried hard to reassure them that they would be allowed to stay in the country, but the prime minister has not committed to that,” she said last month.

Wayne Rooney Testimonial - Manchester United v Everton - Old Trafford Ireland captain Seamus Coleman (right). EMPICS Sport EMPICS Sport

Seamus Coleman

A regular captain of the Ireland soccer team, the Donegal man lives in Liverpool and plays for Everton Football Club, earning approximately £4 million a year.

Yet he began as a gaelic football player, and has said he wants to return to play for Killbybegs GAA club when he finishes up.

The defender is rated highly in the Premier League, attracting interest from a host of Champions League clubs, including PSG, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Ireland's abortion laws Graham Linehan, writer of the Father Ted comedy series, with his wife Helen Brian Lawless / PA Brian Lawless / PA / PA

Graham Linehan, writer

The creator of Father Ted has denounced the plans floated by Rudd at the conference. Born in Dublin, the 48-year-old moved back to Ireland in the past decade, before returning to England.

“Something has gone deeply wrong in the UK,” he said on Twitter late last night.

Dara Ó Briain, comedian

The gaelgeoir comedian is an unashamed “infamous Brit-licker”, and has been touring sellout shows across our near neighbour for years now. Known as the only man capable of matching Frankie Boyle for wit on Mock The Week, the 44-year-old Bray man lives in London.

Mark Carney, economist

The governor of the Bank of England holds both Canadian and Irish citizenship, and has previously warned that Britain faces a recession in the event of it leaving the EU.

Arsene Wenger, Arsenal manager

Although frequently touted for the job of England manager, the longstanding manager of Arsenal Football Club was born, and remains, very French indeed.

Jose Mourinho, Manchester United manager

The football manager formerly known as The Special One may have seen his reputation dim somewhat since his barnstorming first two years as Chelsea manager in the mid-Noughties.

Yet the Portuguese, a Champions League winner three times, retains a considerable cache in the media, not least in his current role as manager of Manchester United, and his rivalry with other managers (and, frequently, his own players).

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager

Of course you can’t mention Mourinho without the man to whom he is most frequently compared: his footballing antithesis Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City.

Widely considered the most innovative and gifted manager in world football in the past decade, the Catalan won two Champions Leagues trophies managing Barcelona FC at their epoch-making pomp.

Read: Poll: Would ‘foreign workers list’ make you less likely to work in UK?

Read: The UK Government wants to draw up a list of all ‘non-British’ workers

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