Britain's biggest union to denounce Blair's 'reactionary' policies

Anger over Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party will reach new heights tomorrow when Britain's biggest union is set to denounce "reactionary" government policies and debate demands for the Prime Minister's resignation.

Anger over Tony Blair's leadership of the Labour Party will reach new heights tomorrow when Britain's biggest union is set to denounce "reactionary" government policies and debate demands for the Prime Minister's resignation.

While leaders of the public service union Unison were yesterday hoping that their annual conference would reject calls for Mr Blair to quit, it is understood that the vote is on a knife edge. Dave Prentis, general secretary of the union, sought to shift the debate away from Mr Blair as an individual, but fought shy of defending him or his record in government.

Despite its reticence in criticising the Prime Minister in person, the national executive of Unison, Labour's second-largest financial donor, will be backing motions highly critical of the Blair administration.

With the endorsement of the leadership, the conference is expected to back a resolution declaring that the union is "alarmed that the present government and their Prime Minister Tony Blair are increasingly pursuing a reactionary right-wing agenda".

The motion reaffirms opposition to the "illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq", and to the Government's proposals to introducefoundation hospitals and top-up fees for university students. It calls for a return to core Labour Party and trade union values.

The frustration among Unison members - many of whom are among the Labour Party's most important foot soldiers - will emerge in the wake of last week's decision by the Fire Brigades Union to become the first affiliate to scrap its link with the party, and the decision by the Labour high command to expel the RMT transport union.

On the eve of what is expected to be the union's last conference before a general election, predicted for next spring, Mr Prentis urged Unison delegates to vote against the proposition, tabled by the left-led Lambeth local government branch, which would commit him to campaigning for the Prime Minister's resignation. Mr Prentis insisted: "I have no interest in the cult of the personality. My job is to represent our members and work with the Government, whoever leads it. The big issues are public services, racism, pensions and our relations with the Government.

"The issue for us is not about personality or personal blame, it's about our relationship with Labour and ensuring that we take our policies into the party and into the Government."