'Polish builders work harder than their UK counterparts. This is utter twaddle, isn't it?'

Mon 7th August

Well, I´m certainly enjoying myself here on the Coasta Blanca. The weather is fantastic, never seeming to go below 30C, the locals are friendly and the Fiesta weekend we have just celebrated was wonderful. Roads were blocked off to allow people to have street parties and at midnight fireworks showered the sky. My daughter informed me August is the month for Spanish festivals, to honor local patron saints or something. She said there didn´t have to be a real big issue for the celebrations, it is a bit like when she was at university and sort of an excuse for a bit of a party, i.e. "It´s the last Thursday of the week, let´s get drunk!"

My 5 year-old grandson is having a whale of a time too, leaping into the swimming pool / sea / anywhere in fact where he thinks he will cool off. He has no fear whatsoever, and would obviously be suited to working on a Spanish construction site where good safety behavior appears to be the more daring you are the better. This part of Spain has an immense amount of construction work going on, whether it be villa´s, apartments or golfing complexes. There are no signs of hard hats, properly erected scaffolding, or hoardings. The resulting buildings are wonderful, it is just that the process seems so fraught with danger.

My holiday hasn´t been all ´lemonade And great sport´, as I have been regularly logging on to deal with e-mails and working on a chapter for a new book that Greenwich University Press are producing on Creativity in Practice. I´ve no doubt I am not the only one in this day and age who mixes work and relaxation, so as to keep up with a busy work schedule. Therefore I was a little upset to read Kelvin Mackenzie´s column in last Thursday´s edition of The Sun, stating that Polish builders work harder than their UK counterparts. This is utter twaddle, isn´t? Yes, any migrant labour force will be seen to be hard working, because that is why they have migrated; to work at earning a better living. But to say that they are harder working than the local people is quite outrageous. Surely work ethic is not a race thing, but purely down to the individual. It is definitely something I shall be throwing into the ring during the innovation circle I am facilitating on migrant labour, but in the meantime, what do you think dear reader? Is ex-Sun Editor Kelvin Mackenzie correct, Polish builders do work harder than the Brits? Or is it just a myth than one creed works harder than another? Do let me know your thoughts, I am intrigued to know.

Also keen to know what the readership thinks of the continuing story of Wembley Stadium? I read with interest last Wednesday´s coverage of the debacle in the Daily Express. After months of much spin from WNSL´s chief executive Michael Cunnah about how the delay to the 90,000 seater stadium was no big thing, he is now gunning for contractor Multiplex and their inability to meet scheduled deadlines. Why now Michael? Why did you not get upset last year when it was clear that the project would overrun by a country mile?

The report muted that Multiplex may not complete the stadium until the end of the year. Another report I caught sight of stated that maybe Multiplex will not actually finish the works at all. What do you think dear reader? Will the 2007 FA Cup Final be played at Wembley, or Cardiff yet again? Will Multiplex finish the project, or will another construction manager be in place to complete our new national stadium?

And finally, well played the Bourn family. Since 1972, house builder Hugh Bourn has been building up the family construction business. On Wednesday last week it was announced that Kier was to purchase the Lincolnshire business for £53m. Hopefully Kier will take the business from strength to strength and the Bourn family can enjoy the fruits of their labour.

I wonder what Hugh, and his sons Chris and Edward, think of dear old Kelvin Mackenzie´s assertion that UK builders are not hard working?

Your comments

• I would expect Polish workers in the UK to be harder working than their British-based brethren because anyone that abandons their friends and family in search of a better future is quite a highly motivated individual. I imagine that the builders who choose to stay behind in Poland work just as hard as our native workers. Ben Carter, Gleeds