Paul Kenny, GMB General Secretary, said “Only 16 out of 650 elected Members of Parliament secured the support of 40% of those entitled to vote in their parliamentary constituency area election in 2010.  Only 15 Tory MPs out of 303 secured that level of support. We will soon see the double standards in operation as if the Tories are returned again they will have no hesitation in forming a Government while not securing 40% support from the electorate.

Yet they propose to use that power to impose a 40% threshold on trade union members voting for strike action. As they make it harder to strike they even plan to make strike breaking easier. The Tories are class warriors. They are the party of the rich and powerful seeking to shackle workers seeking to defend themselves after years of pay freezes.”