I have lit the fuse in Westminster this week- with politicians from all sides condemning me for stating the obvious.

The issue about British workers and British jobs is very simple. If people want to come from Europe and live and work here they can. Just like we can go and live and work in Spain.

However the idea that an entire workforce can be flown over, put up in sub-standard accommodation and British workers be barred from even applying for jobs is a total nonsense.

The obvious facts are that it is economic madness to have British construction workers unemployed, claming benefits, whilst other people are brought in temporarily to do this work.

If our workers have the skills then they should get the jobs. The construction issue reared its head four years ago at Cottam power station and was quickly resolved with British workers being engaged on site

Apparently this is xenophobia- the new Westminster in word. Rubbish. My argument is about jobs in this area and multinationals driving down wages. It is also labelled protectionism. Well what do you think President Obama is doing it in The USA - keeping people in jobs. Strangely it is not protectionism to rightly keep our banks afloat.

People confuse trade and jobs. Banning imports will hit exports and is a dangerous move. Maintaining British people in jobs is a good thing. And I will not be backing down. Furthermore with a new power station about to be built in this constituency, I expect local people to have the opportunity to do this work.

In the same way that national governments are propping up nationally based banks, the economic imperative is to maintain UK industry by the maximum use of willing and able British workers and if the law needs changing then we should change it promptly.

I have obtained the latest figures on solicitors payments for miners industrial disease claims: Beresfords £130 million, Thompson £120 million, Raleys £77 million. Even small companies have done well with Stuart Bell getting £387,839. No one should have had any charges for this work and it is still not too late to get hold of your papers for you and claim this money back.