Houghton and Sunderland South MP, Bridget Phillipson has condemned insensitive and offensive comments made by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers as ‘insensitive and offensive’.

In a letter to her Lib Dem colleague, Alan Beith MP (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Villiers suggested that former East Coast call centre workers who lost their jobs after the closure of Baron House in Newcastle should move to ‘Mumbai’.

In response to the Transport Ministers comments, Bridget said:

“Unemployment is at an all time high in the North East and instead of offering concrete solutions the Transport Minister demonstrates poor judgement and a callous attitude towards the livelihoods of people across the region.

To suggest to those who have lost their jobs should move to India is insensitive and offensive and shows the Tory party have not moved on from the days of Norman Tebbit.

Villers and the rest of the Tory government should think more about addressing the damage caused by cutting the Future Jobs Fund, and reducing the funding for local authorities to support public transport by 28% and less time making insensitive and offensive comments.”