MANDELSON: BRITONS DON'T WANT JOBS

LORD Mandelson provoked fury last night by suggesting that British workers are too lazy to take jobs being snapped up by immigrants.

Fuelling the “British jobs for British workers” controversy, the Business Secretary claimed that UK nationals were either “not available or unwilling” to fill job vacancies.

And he said the influx of foreign labour from Eastern Europe had caused no “adverse” effect on our jobs market.

Angry critics last night branded his remarks an “insult” to British workers. Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green said: “At a time of high and rising unemployment, it is incredibly arrogant of Lord Mandelson to assume that British workers are not willing to do these jobs. Most of the unemployed are desperate to get back to work.”

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said: “Peter Mandelson is given to making sweeping statements about the UK labour market.

“Unfortunately, most of his statements turn out to be just that – sweeping with no foundation in fact.”

Lord Mandelson’s latest gaffe came during a Commons committee hearing LORD Mandelson provoked fury last night by suggesting that British workers are too lazy to take jobs being snapped up by immigrants.

Fuelling the “British jobs for British workers” controversy, the Business Secretary claimed that UK nationals were either “not available or unwilling” to fill job vacancies.

And he said the influx of foreign labour from Eastern Europe had caused no “adverse” effect on our jobs market.

Angry critics last night branded his remarks an “insult” to British workers. Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green said: “At a time of high and rising unemployment, it is incredibly arrogant of Lord Mandelson to assume that British workers are not willing to do these jobs. Most of the unemployed are desperate to get back to work.”

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said: “Peter Mandelson is given to making sweeping statements about the UK labour market.

“Unfortunately, most of his statements turn out to be just that – sweeping with no foundation in fact.”

Lord Mandelson’s latest gaffe came during a Commons committee hearingyesterday into the effect of EU migrants on the British jobs market. The official UK unemployment rate is close to two million and is forecast to exceed three million by next year.

Yet figures show 3.8 million people born overseas are now working in Britain, more than double that of 10 years ago.

And a recent study by think-tank Migrationwatch found that 1.08 million out of the 1.34 million new jobs created since 2001 have gone to non-UK citizens. Many were taken by the 500,000 eastern Europeans who have arrived since 2004.

Lord Mandelson told MPs: “The nationals coming here from the original eight new accession countries are helping to fill gaps in our labour market our British nationals are either not available to fill or are unwilling to fill.”

He said there were about half a million vacancies in the UK labour market, which proved there were still jobs available for Britons. He added: “One can only conclude there has not been an adverse effect on the employment of British nationals.”

But his comments fail to explain the growing desperation for jobs in recession-hit Britain.

Earlier this month, 3,000 job-seekers arrived at a zoo in Warwickshire chasing 150 vacancies for zoo rangers, kitchen staff and cleaners.

And 600 people applied for a single post as a £22,762-a-year emergency call operator in the West Midlands.

Tory MP James Clappison said: “The picture Lord Mandelson is painting of the situation in the British jobs market is a fairytale. And his claim that the number of jobs taken by foreign workers is not significant is a complete insult to people who have lost their jobs.”  continues here

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