'Head north to find a job' MP tells unemployed

A VETERAN Conservative MP has been accused of telling people in England to get on their bikes and head north of the Border to fill the Scottish jobs taken up by immigrants.

Banbury MP Tony Baldry made his intervention during home affairs questions, when Scottish MPs were complaining that the coalition's immigration cap is disadvantaging Scotland, particularly universities.

Labour's Dundee West MP Jim McGovern raised concerns that universities and businesses in Scotland were finding it hard to recruit the right sort of talent because of the new tougher immigration rules for those outside the European Union.

After the minister's reply, Mr Baldry noted that when his Scottish great-grandfather had been unable to find work north of the Border he "moved south to England to find a job".

He added that, if there were jobs in Scotland, "shouldn't people from England think about going the other way?"

Immigration minister Damien Green said he agreed with Mr Baldry. She later added, in response to a question from SNP MP Pete Wishart, that Scotland has higher levels of unemployment than the UK as a whole and should look at finding more jobs for people in Scotland.

After the session, Mr Wishart said that the question and comment from Mr Baldry was "typical of the English Tory mindset".

He said: "Mr Baldry's comments were the equivalent of, 'Get on your bike and head for the Scottish Border'. They simply do not understand that Scotland has different needs than other parts of the UK and that's why Scots keep on rejecting the Tories in elections.

"In the case of immigration rules it is clear that one cap does not fit all and that Scottish universities in particular are finding it very hard to recruit as a result of the coalition's policies."