New figures uncovered by the Conservatives show the number of temporary workers who have to temp because they can’t find a permanent job increased by 34 per cent over the year and by almost 10 per cent over the last quarter. This comes after a warning from the Federation of Small Businesses that the Agency Workers legislation would mean businesses would take on less people. Last September, Gordon Brown promised the Labour Party’s trade union backers that he would legislate for the Agency Workers Directive before the election. Commenting Shadow Business Minister Jonathan Djanogly said: “We need sufficient parliamentary time to scrutinise a Bill that the Government admits will cost the economy £40 billion and could prevent people getting work, threatening our recovery. “We can’t go on with a Government that is dictated to by its union paymasters. It is clear the real reason for this being rushed through is that the unions want a return for their millions of investment in the Labour Party. A Conservative government would implement the Directive in a way that is fair to employees and employers”.