Lee Anderson 'humiliates' Labour MP with 4-word slap down

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson clashed with a Labour MP in the Commons over Britain's reliance on migrant workers, delivering a sharp four-word putdown that he later shared online, claiming the Labour MP was 'clueless' after responding to Mr Anderson's proclamations.

During the debate, the Labour MP argued that immigration was essential to filling labour shortages. "Migrants make up a fifth of our workforce. The NHS alone relies on more than 160,000 staff from overseas," he said. "Suspend all immigration tomorrow, and who will fill all these roles? Who will care for our sick, work on our buses, staff our hospitality sector?"

Mr Anderson replied: "How about the seven million people who are economically inactive in this country?"

The Labour MP countered that the government was already focused on training up British workers and helping people back into employment.

After the debate, Anderson posted the video clip on social media with his four-word verdict on the exchange: "His comeback was dreadful."

The confrontation highlighted a wider challenge for policymakers.

But the figures reveal a more complicated picture.

According to the Office for National Statistics, around 9 million working-age adults in the UK are not in work. The majority, 2.7 million, are students, most of whom do not want jobs.

Among people aged 25 to 49, over one million are not working due to long-term sickness and 1.1 million because of caring responsibilities, mostly women.

For over-50s, the main reasons are illness and early retirement, with almost none of the latter group seeking to re-enter the workforce.

In total, fewer than one in four of those who are economically inactive say they want a job, leaving the question of how Britain fills its labour shortages unresolved.