THE British Labour Party was warned not to use public workers as "human pawns on the election chessboard" yesterday after the Shadow Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown, signalled that he would not meet any inflation busting pay rises.
Trade union leaders predicted a summer of discontent with an incoming government if the pay review bodies' recommendations for teachers, doctors and nurses of between 3.2 per cent to 3.4 per cent were not paid in full. Such a pay increase - would shatter Mr Brown's pledge to curb public spending.
"Whoever the government is they need to realise they cannot play with people's lives," warned Mr Bob Apperley, the leader of Unison, the health and public services union.
Although Mr Brown accused the Conservative Party of deliberately leaking the suggested pay increases to force Labour on the defensive, he insisted there could be "no blank cheques" and that his pledge would remain intact.
"We will not repeat the irresponsibility of Mr Major, who is now acting in 1997 on public sector pay as he, did in 1992 when he made promises on taxation, deliberately raising expectations immediately before a general election without the faintest idea, as in 1992, of how with finances in a poor state he can meet the bills afterwards," he said.
However, senior Tories dismissed Mr Brown's accusations, pointing out that in the past the Labour Party has always argued that the review bodies' recommendations should be met in full.
Mr Major yesterday announced the first fruits of the Cabinet's five hour manifesto brain storming session plans to spread share ownership and flexible pensions to millions more workers.
The Prime Minister's "People's Share" initiative came as he dismissed as "complete rubbish" the latest opinion poll showing the Tories 25 points behind Labour.
While Labour Party spin doctors were dealing with irate trade union officials, their Conservative counterparts spent the day once again playing down division within the party following the deselection of the Euro sceptic MP, Sir George Gardiner.
Reigate Conservative Association voted to deselect Sir George as their candidate for the next election after he criticised the Prime Minister, Mr Major, claiming he was a "ventriloquist's dummy" who was controlled by the pro European Chancellor, Mr Ken Clarke.
Although Sir George had previously threatened to resign and force a by election if he was deselected, which could have forced an early general election, he appears to have been persuaded to change his mind. Instead Sir George is consulting his solicitors on the legality of the vote.
The Defence Secretary, Mr Michael Portillo, called on his colleagues to be careful when airing their views on the party and admitted the timing of Sir George's deselection had not been "helpful".
"George was extremely unwise and very rude to make some of the remarks he made about the Prime Minister. However, I believe we are a tolerant party and I am sorry to see people being asked to leave their seats after they have given good service," he added.