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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Union election warning to Brown | Union election warning to Brown |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Gordon Brown has been warned by a leading union leader that Labour is headed for defeat at the next election unless it does more for working people. | Gordon Brown has been warned by a leading union leader that Labour is headed for defeat at the next election unless it does more for working people. |
| Derek Simpson, the head of Unite, said many senior Labour figures seemed resigned to defeat and compared Mr Brown to a "rabbit in the headlights". | Derek Simpson, the head of Unite, said many senior Labour figures seemed resigned to defeat and compared Mr Brown to a "rabbit in the headlights". |
| He told the Guardian that Labour must be supporting industry and the unemployed, not cutting spending. | He told the Guardian that Labour must be supporting industry and the unemployed, not cutting spending. |
| His comments came ahead of a meeting between Mr Brown and union leaders. | |
| Support for workers | Support for workers |
| The prime minister is meeting 15 trade union leaders at his country residence Chequers to discuss concerns over spending cuts ahead of next week's TUC annual congress in Liverpool. | |
| The meeting, at which union leaders will seek to put forward ideas for Labour's election manifesto, was expected to last three hours. | |
| Downing Street has stressed that the talks are not "political" and would centre on discussions about the government's latest economic policy document. | Downing Street has stressed that the talks are not "political" and would centre on discussions about the government's latest economic policy document. |
| The prime minister's official spokesman said: "The purpose is to discuss the government's continuing strategy to bring Britain out of recession, including the policies set out in Building Britain's Future." | The prime minister's official spokesman said: "The purpose is to discuss the government's continuing strategy to bring Britain out of recession, including the policies set out in Building Britain's Future." |
| The government says it wants to halve the budget deficit - expected to be £175bn this year - over the next four years but unions say this must not involve mass redundancies. | The government says it wants to halve the budget deficit - expected to be £175bn this year - over the next four years but unions say this must not involve mass redundancies. |
| Labour has got to be more clear that it is on the side of working people, rather than give the impression it backs big business Derek Simpson, Unite | Labour has got to be more clear that it is on the side of working people, rather than give the impression it backs big business Derek Simpson, Unite |
| Mr Simpson said the prime minister needed to act decisively on issues such as jobs, pensions and housing if Labour was not to be beaten at the next election, which must be held by next June. | Mr Simpson said the prime minister needed to act decisively on issues such as jobs, pensions and housing if Labour was not to be beaten at the next election, which must be held by next June. |
| "Labour has got to be more clear that it is on the side of working people, rather than give the impression it backs big business," he told the newspaper. | "Labour has got to be more clear that it is on the side of working people, rather than give the impression it backs big business," he told the newspaper. |
| But he claimed insecurity surrounding Gordon Brown's position was hurting Labour as the prime minister too often "behaved like a rabbit in the headlights, suffering a paralysis, for fear his colleagues are going to whip the knives out and stab him". | But he claimed insecurity surrounding Gordon Brown's position was hurting Labour as the prime minister too often "behaved like a rabbit in the headlights, suffering a paralysis, for fear his colleagues are going to whip the knives out and stab him". |
| In a separate interview with The Mirror, Mr Simpson said New Labour was "dead" and that if Gordon Brown was not prepared to lead a return to traditional Labour values he should "stand aside". | In a separate interview with The Mirror, Mr Simpson said New Labour was "dead" and that if Gordon Brown was not prepared to lead a return to traditional Labour values he should "stand aside". |
| But, clarifying his remarks later, Mr Simpson insisted Mr Brown had his full support as leader while urging him to embrace more "progressive" policies. | But, clarifying his remarks later, Mr Simpson insisted Mr Brown had his full support as leader while urging him to embrace more "progressive" policies. |
| Friday's meeting, attended by the TUC's Brendan Barber, Unison's Dave Prentis and GMB's Paul Kenney, comes at a time of increasingly fraught relations between Labour and the unions. | |
| Unison has threatened not to fund Labour candidates at the next election who support policies which threaten public sector jobs such as further private sector involvement in the NHS. | Unison has threatened not to fund Labour candidates at the next election who support policies which threaten public sector jobs such as further private sector involvement in the NHS. |
| 'No love-in' | 'No love-in' |
| A Downing Street insider said the meeting would be "no love-in" but emphasised that ministers were protecting jobs during the recession through apprenticeships and subsidised work places. | A Downing Street insider said the meeting would be "no love-in" but emphasised that ministers were protecting jobs during the recession through apprenticeships and subsidised work places. |
| Ahead of the meeting, a report by the Taxpayers' Alliance and the Institute of Directors said the government could save £50bn by scrapping programmes and freezing public sector pay for a year. | Ahead of the meeting, a report by the Taxpayers' Alliance and the Institute of Directors said the government could save £50bn by scrapping programmes and freezing public sector pay for a year. |
| It called for the abolition of Sure Start, set up to help children in deprived areas, and the Education Maintenance Allowance, designed to encourage teenagers to stay in college or training. | It called for the abolition of Sure Start, set up to help children in deprived areas, and the Education Maintenance Allowance, designed to encourage teenagers to stay in college or training. |
| The Institute of Directors said businesses were having to make savings and the public sector must do the same. | The Institute of Directors said businesses were having to make savings and the public sector must do the same. |
| "Any cut in spending naturally has the potential for some pain, but our list shows that large sums can be saved without hurting vital services," said its director general Miles Templeman. | "Any cut in spending naturally has the potential for some pain, but our list shows that large sums can be saved without hurting vital services," said its director general Miles Templeman. |
| The level of government spending is set to be a major issue in the build-up to the next election. | The level of government spending is set to be a major issue in the build-up to the next election. |
| Labour says the Tories would reduce spending on essential frontline services if they gained power, choking the economic recovery and increasing unemployment. | Labour says the Tories would reduce spending on essential frontline services if they gained power, choking the economic recovery and increasing unemployment. |
| The Conservatives, meanwhile, say public spending must be reduced immediately to tackle the excessive level of debt. | The Conservatives, meanwhile, say public spending must be reduced immediately to tackle the excessive level of debt. |