Reform UK economic spokesman Robert Jenrick criticized major professional services firms Deloitte and KPMG on October 15, 2026, alleging they laid off hundreds of UK workers while hiring thousands of foreign visa holders. Speaking outside Deloitte’s London headquarters, Jenrick claimed Deloitte cut 800 British jobs while bringing in 8,800 foreign workers over five years.
The Bottom Line
- Workforce Reductions: KPMG and Deloitte executed multiple rounds of layoffs across audit, advisory, corporate services, and tech divisions due to low attrition rates, economic slowdowns, and AI uncertainty.
- Visa Sponsorships: Home Office data from 2025 shows Deloitte sponsored 1,647 Skilled Worker visas, while KPMG sponsored 1,132, though exact redundancy statuses of visa holders remain undisclosed.
- Political Friction: Reform UK has ramped up pressure on major employers regarding immigration practices, drawing mixed responses from business representatives.
Jenrick Targets Deloitte and KPMG Redundancies
Standing outside Deloitte’s London base in a video post, Robert Jenrick stated that Deloitte laid off 800 UK staff while bringing in 8,800 foreign workers over a five-year period. City AM reported that Jenrick claimed KPMG sponsored 1,100 visas while cutting 900 UK jobs. Reform UK officials clarified they do not target individual firms specifically, but want large corporations to prioritize British and highly skilled domestic workers.
The criticisms arrive amid a broader contraction across the Big Four accounting and consulting networks. In March, KPMG disclosed plans to lay off over 400 staff in its audit division and 120 in advisory due to low attrition rates. City AM revealed in July that KPMG cut approximately 200 staff in its UK group corporate services division. The Financial Times reported last month that KPMG would remove another 200 roles within its data and tech division.
Corporate Restructuring and Visa Data
Deloitte has similarly reduced headcount over recent years, driven by post-pandemic overhiring corrections, macroeconomic stagnation, artificial intelligence uncertainty, and stabilizing attrition metrics. Earlier in the year, Deloitte offered voluntary redundancy packages to eliminate 200 jobs across its audit business, providing exit terms exceeding statutory minimums.
UK Home Office figures for 2025 indicate that Deloitte sponsored 1,647 Skilled Worker visas, while KPMG sponsored 1,132. However, corporate entities do not publicly disclose the specific visa statuses or nationalities of personnel included in redundancy rounds. Consequently, exact metrics regarding how many visa holders were affected by the recent job cuts remain unavailable.
| Firm | Reported UK Job Cuts | 2025 Home Office Visa Sponsorships |
|---|---|---|
| Deloitte | 800 (plus 200 voluntary audit cuts) | 1,647 |
| KPMG | 900+ across audit, advisory, and tech | 1,132 |
Broader Political Confrontations with Corporate Employers
Reform UK figures have increasingly clashed with domestic employers over immigration policies and visa utilization. Home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf recently pledged financial rewards for citizens reporting high street shops employing illegal migrants. Yusuf also threatened to imprison Vodafone boss Margherita Della Valle over SIM card distribution policies.
While Reform held its inaugural ‘Business Day’ at the party conference in early September to foster private sector dialogue, business representatives have privately criticized the party’s aggressive posture toward corporate leadership. Neither Deloitte nor KPMG issued public statements in response to Jenrick’s remarks.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
