Labour pledges to hire 3,000 firefighters

Labour’s manifesto promises to recruit at least 3,000 new frontline firefighters, give fire services in England a statutory duty to tackle flooding and guarantee that Police and Crime Commissioners will not be given control over fire services.

The party would also abolish the public sector pay cap that the FBU claims has made firefighters on average £2,000 worse off than they were in 2010. The manifesto also sets out plans to repeal the Trade Union Act, which will make it easier for Unions to call industry action.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack welcomed the news, he said: “There are clear dividing lines for who to vote for in this election. Labour will invest in firefighters in order to keep people safe, whereas the Tories will continue to cut and decimate our service, putting public safety at risk.

“Having 3,000 more firefighters on the frontline is a promising start, and we welcome their commitment to review staffing levels across the service as a whole.

“Fire deaths have risen for the first time in 20 years since the Tories came to power, and response times to emergencies are getting slower. The service is in crisis and the Tories don’t have a plan to save it. Labour are the safe pair of hands who will deliver a properly resourced fire service to protect public safety.”

The Conservative Party has responded by stating that the numbers don’t add up and a Labour government would be a danger to the economy. A statement from the Conservatives said: “There is a £58 billion black hole in Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto – and it will be paid for by every single family in the UK with higher taxes and more debt. Jeremy Corbyn’s numbers simply don’t add up, and he can’t be trusted to run the economy or negotiate the right deal for Britain.”