YOUNG mum Emma Birtwistle was outraged when Tories revealed a "My Fair Lady" scheme to teach single mums punctuality and politeness to get jobs.

And unlike Eliza Doolittle, she wasn't struggling with her words. She branded Social Security Secretary Peter Lilley's idea as "disgusting and degrading" and complained to Hyndburn Labour MP Greg Pope.

Emma, 22, who spent three years as a single mum, blasted: "I think this scheme is absolutely disgusting. It has made all single mums look like burping, sniffing, bum-scratching yobbos."

Blackburn is one of 12 towns chosen to pilot the scheme aimed at cutting dole queues.

The course is aimed at giving single parents the skills and training needed to get a job such as politeness, punctuality and obeying a superior's order. Emma, who lives in Ramsbottom Street, Accrington, with husband Paul and children Madison, five, and Barney, four, said: "I was a single mum for three years and it was a lonely and frightening time. This scheme is treating single mums as the lowest of the low.

"It makes us sound as though we are totally unemployable, stupid and with no manners."

She said: "I am an intelligent mother. I have training and skills.

"I left school with nine GCSEs and I got A-level English at night school. And there are many more single mums like me. I really feel someone should stand up against this."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "I was pretty horrified at the patronising tone about what single mothers needed - lessons in how to be polite. If I were a single parent I might not feel like being polite about that.

"I will write to Peter Lilley and ask him whether he found the patronising and insulting tone acceptable or whether it has just been misconstrued."

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