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  courtesy of the independent.
  
  During the Thatcher government, Norman Tebbit coined a phrase for the age when he advised the unemployed to do what his father did and "get on their bikes and look for work".
  
  The rail minister Theresa Villiers is now being accused of bringing the philosophy up to date after appearing to tell sacked call-centre workers in Newcastle to relocate to Mumbai. A letter written by Ms Villiers to Berwick MP Sir Alan Beith has prompted anger from Labour and the unions, which have described the prospect of staff from the North-east being asked to move 5,000 miles to do the same job in India as "unhinged and unpatriotic".
  
  The row follows the closure of Baron House, a former East Coast passenger call centre, which resulted in the loss of nearly 200 jobs and delivered a major blow to the region's struggling economy. A review of public contracts by the newly nationalised rail operator meant the existing provider, National Express, missed out to two other companies, one of which, Intelenet (UK) has operations in Plymouth and Mumbai.

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