'Nothing works anymore': Tories accused of having 'broken Britain' with public services 'in crisis'
Paul Nowak, the new general secretary of the TUC Conference, said "nothing works anymore and no one in government cares" as he launched a scathing attack on the Tories' record.
Monday 11 September 2023 13:31, UK
The Conservatives were accused of having "broken Britain" in a keynote speech by the new leader of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) attacking the state of the economy and public services.
In his first speech as head of the union federation, Paul Nowak claimed that "nothing works in this country anymore and no one in government cares".
He pointed to problems such as sewage in the rivers and the school concrete fiasco as proof that the country needs "urgent political change".
Politics Live: Ex-Tory compares running government to fish and chip shop
Addressing union delegates in his home city of Liverpool, Mr Nowak said on Monday: "Nothing works in this country anymore and no one in government cares. The Conservatives have broken Britain.
"They've had 13 years to sort out crumbling concrete in our schools. But five days before the new term they tell schools they can't open.
"Because - and I quote the education secretary - everyone is 'on their arses'.
Read More:
Education secretary apologises for swearing on camera in rant on school concrete crisis
"Could you think of a more perfect metaphor for this government? A crisis of their making, but someone else gets the blame.
"Yet, this government that can't keep our rivers clean, or run trains on time, or run a functioning NHS can find time to attack the right to strike."
Mr Nowak's speech came on the second day of the annual TUC conference which opened in Liverpool on Sunday.
The event kicked off with Mr Nowak announcing in a news conference that he is reporting the government to the UN's workers' rights watchdog over its controversial "anti-strikes" legislation.
Unions 'will fight anti-strikes law on picket line'
The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill seeks to ensure a legally mandated level of service across key sectors like the NHS during a strike, and will allow bosses to fire employees who ignore notices ordering them to work on strike day.
The government has said the purpose of the legislation is to ensure people can continue to access vital public services during industrial action, bur Mr Nowak claimed the new law is about "telling us to get back in our place and to not demand better".
He warned: "When the first worker is sacked for refusing to work on a strike day, we'll fight it in workplaces and on the picket lines.
"Congress - this movement will fight it every single day until it is repealed."
Mr Nowak also attacked the government's immigration policy saying: "The real enemies of the working class don't arrive in a small boat. They fly in a private jet."
He ended his speech by calling on the trade union movement to unite behind Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at the next general election to "kick this rotten government out".
Labour 'must be more like Atlee in 1945'
But while Labour traditionally enjoys the support of trade unions, others have had some choice words for the potential future incumbent of Downing Street.
Sharon Graham, leader of Labour's biggest union donor Unite, has accused the party of becoming a "1990s tribute act" - a reference to its last time in office under Tony Blair.
Speaking to Sky News from the TUC conference on Sunday, she said Sir Keir's leadership needs to be more radical than then because there is less money in the public coffers to spend - and options such as wealth taxes and nationalising energy should be considered to raise capital.
In a reference to the post-war Labour government of Clement Attlee, which founded the NHS, she said: "Britain is in crisis. And what we need to do now is not to look back to 1997. What we need to do is be more like in 1945. The country needs a reboot and Labour needs to put policies forward that give it that reboot."
Read More:
Defence cuts will affect UK's ability to fight from the air
That sentiment was echoed by Mark Serwotka, leader of the PCS union, who said Sir Keir needs to offer a vision for people to vote for Labour "that is more than just we're better than the Conservatives".
In a message to the Labour leader - who is heading to Liverpool later on Monday to dine with the TUC general council - he told Sky News: "Britain is in crisis. We've got people waiting for 15 hours in ambulances, schools being shut through crumbling concrete, a 180,000 backlog of asylum cases because of lack of staff and incredibly 45 billion in uncollected tax because we don't have enough staff in tax offices. A crisis needs urgent and radical action."