Brown must change or be 'brought down'

Public sector workers can't take much more, Mr Prentis says

Wednesday, 18, Jun 2008 12:00

The head of one of the biggest and most influential unions in Britain has warned Gordon Brown to change his financial policy or face being "brought down" at the next election.

David Prentis, general secretary of Unison, told the union's annual conference in Bournemouth: "There have been two years of public-sector pay restraint, with another two years to follow which will take us to the 2010 general election.

"If the government has not delivered on pay by then, our people will bring the government down."

Telling delegates the government was "showering insults" on public sector pay workers with its two per cent a year pay deal, Mr Prentis vowed to start "the most powerful campaign ever seen" to fight the policy.

"Raise our people up or our people will bring Gordon down.," he continued.

"It’s an absolute disgrace that MPs and MEPs claim more expenses in a month than public-service workers earn in a year – and that's without the nanny. It's got to change."

But chancellor Alistair Darling appeared unmoved by the threats this morning. Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, he urged restraint in pay demands.

A day after consumer inflation rose to its highest level in ten years, Mr Darling said: "We have got to be vigilant in relation to all pay settlements, public and private.

"If we get back into that [inflationary] spiral, it will take years to get out of it."

The chancellor forecast a growth in the economy of between 2.5 per cent and three per cent next year but some economists put the figure as closer to 1.3 per cent.