Union leaders welcome measures in Labour's leaked manifesto

Union leaders have warmly welcomed measures in Labour's leaked manifesto, saying they will help workers and start reversing cuts to public spending.

Labour was widely praised by the union movement when it unveiled its employment pledges last month, including ending zero hours contracts and the cap on public sector pay, and giving workers employment rights from the first day in a job.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said on Thursday: "We wholeheartedly welcome the Labour pledge to protect fire and rescue services from further destructive cuts.

"Since the Tories came into government they have undertaken an unprecedented and savage assault on fire services.

"Over 10,000 frontline firefighter posts have been axed, response times to emergencies are getting slower and fire deaths are on the rise for the first time in decades.

"There is a clear choice in this election between a Labour government who will invest in public services and scrap the pay cap or a Tory one that will continue to make life-threatening cuts.

"Labour stands on a manifesto that will tilt power back towards working people."

Mark Serwotka, leader of the Public and Commercial Services union, said: "Labour's manifesto pledges to end the public sector pay cap, improve collective bargaining, repeal anti-trade union legislation and strengthen employment rights are welcome news indeed for PCS members and for all public sector workers.

"These commitments to many of our long-standing industrial demands have never been on offer from the Labour party before and are in stark contrast to what the Tories are offering at this election.

"We have been clear that our message to our members is that another Tory government would be the worst possible outcome and Labour's manifesto commitments offer a positive and much-needed alternative."

Josh Hardie, deputy director general of the CBI, said: "If accurate, this is a manifesto that is past its sell-by date.

"With the significant challenges our economy faces, the goal of making the UK the most competitive and fair economy in the world can only be achieved by a strongly pro-enterprise government.

"A number of these policies risk putting our economy into reverse gear rather than moving forward to support business in creating an inclusive, innovative economy that works for people in all corners of the UK.

"While proposals around apprenticeships and to increase spending on R&D to 3% should be welcomed, proposals to damage the UK's flexible labour market and competitive markets will threaten jobs and prosperity."

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said hiking taxes for people earning the biggest salaries could drive businesses out of Britain, and he claimed the plans would require a "massive borrowing spree".

He told Good Morning Britain: "Lots of promises, a fairly shambolic launch. They probably didn't plan it that way, but lots of promises in there to spend lots more money on lots of different things.

"What they have not made clear is how that is going to be financed, how much more borrowing there's going to be and what the implications are for the economy if you go on a massive borrowing spree like the last Labour government did."

The SNP's Glasgow North candidate, Patrick Grady, said: "This leak confirms Labour are in utter chaos over Trident - with the party in Scotland and Jeremy Corbyn diametrically opposed to what's in their manifesto."

Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, said: "This manifesto became meaningless the day Jeremy Corbyn ordered his MPs to vote with the Conservatives and Ukip to give Theresa May a blank cheque on Brexit."

Plaid Cymru's Jonathan Edwards said: "In the face of a Tory landslide at UK level, that elements of Labour's high command are more focused on damaging their leader by undermining their own manifesto than they are on opposing the Tories, shows the chaos within the Labour Party."

The Scottish National Party's Tommy Sheppard said: "The chaos inside Labour shows that now, more than ever, it is vital to have strong SNP voices standing up for Scotland - only then can we protect Scotland from the dangers of an unopposed Tory government at Westminster."