Labour spending millions on time off for union reps

LABOUR councils are spending millions of pounds of taxpayers' cash so trade union reps can take time off to deal with organisational matters.

- John Siddle

Cash-strapped authorities spent £24.6million last year funding this "facility time".

But analysis of government figures reveals Labour-run town halls spent £17.2million, while Tory-run councils spent just £2.1million.

Those controlled by Labour spent an average of £148,300, almost three times the £51,100 spent by Conservative local authorities.

Last night, there were calls to cap the payments and reinvest the money in frontline services.

Cabinet minister Esther McVey said: "It tells you all you need to know about Labour that while they're hiking up taxes for local residents and axing services, they're handing out huge wads of cash to the unions.

"Both Labour-run Bradford City Council and Birmingham City Council had to rely on the Government to bail them out of their financial mess - two of the 11 Labour councils which drove their finances into the ground.