I WOULD like to respond to Barbara Keelty, Guardian February 4, who seems to think that an advert promoting my Weaver Vale jobs fair is political and placed to promote myself.

This is now my fourth such event in the constituency and is purely to help jobseekers find employment, as well as offering advice about apprenticeships and training — something as the MP for Weaver Vale I am passionate about. The advert is not political in any way — it is just promoting an open opportunity for those seeking work to meet with local employers.

Ms Keelty claims in her letter that: “Under this Tory-led coalition the number of real apprenticeships has steadily fallen since 2011."

It is interesting that no source has been given for this “statistic”.

In fact, and this is a matter of public record, figures show that since 2010, 3,740 people have started an apprenticeship in Weaver Vale.

On the jobs front, 71.6 per cent of people in the region are in work — higher than the north west average of 70.6 per cent. Across the north west, employment is up by 94,000 since the last election.

That is 94,000 people who are earning a regular wage and are better able to provide for their families.

I will help anybody trying to get into work — there is nothing political about that — and that is what the jobs fair is all about.

Graham Evans MP for Weaver Vale