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Keir Starmer is facing a new backlash from the trade unions after he was accused of imposing a new round of austerity again on fire and rescue.
Fire Brigades Union general secretary Steve Wright has claimed that the Labour government has imposed a real-terms cut to fire and rescue services across England.
In a warning to the prime minister he said: “Austerity under a Labour government is still austerity”.
He went on: “Next time there is a fire, a flood, or an extreme weather event, the public will ask why their fire service is unable to respond effectively”, he said. “The Fire Brigades Union urges the government to think again and deliver the investment we need to keep people safe.”
With room for manoeuvre tight for the chancellor there is a speculation she will have to make cuts or tax rises in the spring to ensure the books balance. Ms Reeves has complained of a £22 billlion black hole left by the Tories in the finances but also faced a barrage of criticism over increases to national insurance and other taxes.
The row broke out after the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published its local government settlement on 3 February. It reveals the amount of central funding for fire and rescue services in England will increase by just 1.4 per cent on average while CPI inflation is running at around 2.5 per cent in April.
The warning from one of the leading Labour affiliated unions comes after concerns were also raised about potential for watering down workers rights.
The FBU’s previous general secretary Matt Wrack was central to ensuring workers rights remained a significant part of the Labour general election manifesto last year.
But Mr Wright also warned that there will be a strong push back if the government also tries to hold down wages.
He said: “This funding settlement is a real-terms cut to fire and rescue services across England. Even in cash terms, it will leave central government funding lower than it was a decade ago.
“These cuts put lives at risk. We have lost one in five firefighter jobs since 2010, and response times are the worst they’ve ever been. Labour was elected promising change.
“There is already a postcode lottery on fire cover, and a lack of central government funding will make fragmentation worse.”
He added: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to go after the super rich and big business, rather than asking workers and the public to stomach more cuts to vital frontline services.”
A government spokesperson said: “We will fix the foundations of local government whilst protecting local taxpayers from excessive council tax increases. We are giving a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power compared to 2024-25 and giving fire and rescue authorities the option to increase by £5.”
