Unison Herts

This is a "wake-up call to Labour" said general secretary Dave Prentis in his address to the unions annual conference.  "If they believe that continuing with the direction of travel will win the next election, they had better think again" he warned adding: "I want a Labour government, a real Labour government".  But he told the party it "shouldn't take my union support for granted, you will have to earn it".

He said that Labout must abandon its idealogical attack on public services because it would not be re-elected otherwise.  "Labour will not be re-elcted unless it changes direction, restores trust and reconnects with its core vote".

In terms of public service refroms, Dave Prentis said it was about time that the government "listened to real experts, our members" rather than spend millions on consultants.  "As long as I am general secretary, our union will be at the forefront of the campaign to defend the National Health Service" he added.

Prentis praised some aspects of the government's NHS policies, including employing more doctors, nurses and support staff, bringing cleaning contracts back in-house, ending the two-tier workforce and making the NHS patient-centred.  But it was wrong on markets and competition, bringing in uncertainty, instability and upheaval with no discussion, analysis or explanation to staff.

At the same time, Prentis warned delegates not to be fooled by David Cameron's supposed makeover of the Conservative Party.  "The Tories still have Thatcherism running through their veins" he said "David Cameron was a political advisor to Norman Lamont and Michael Howard.

"Safe in his hands?" More like his hands in our safe.  A whiff of power would see the same slash and burn policies that wreaked havoc on our public services a decade ago".