FBU urges Labour to deliver 5,000 more firefighters and reverse cuts to public services

by Associations and OrganisationsFeatured News

Labour conference supports wealth tax to rebuild public services

Delegates at the Labour Party conference have voted in favour of a motion calling for a wealth tax on the richest individuals to fund public services.

The motion was submitted by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) and Unite the Union.

It urges the government to reverse austerity measures, adopt progressive taxation and increase investment in public services.

The motion includes a proposal to rebuild the fire and rescue service with an immediate increase of 5,000 firefighters, alongside a review to consider further expansion and improved firefighter pay.

FBU calls for action on fire service cuts

The FBU said the fire and rescue service has lost one in five firefighters since 2010.

FBU General Secretary Steve Wright said: “Workers in Britain are paying the price for a broken economic model.

“The ultra-rich continue to reap the benefits of a rigged system that rewards wealth – not work.

“Meanwhile, public services are on the brink of collapse without the investment desperately needed after fifteen years of austerity.

“The fire and rescue service is in a state of emergency, with the loss of 1 in 5 firefighters to cuts since 2010.

“We need an immediate increase of 5,000 firefighters to begin addressing this crisis in public safety.

“The government must act decisively by introducing a progressive wealth tax to rebuild public services, create jobs, and support struggling households.”

Motion highlights links between economic policy and public safety

The motion aligns the rebuilding of the fire and rescue service with wider efforts to strengthen public services through wealth redistribution.

It positions investment in emergency services as central to reversing the effects of long-term austerity.

The proposal’s emphasis on recruitment and fair pay reflects ongoing concern about workforce shortages and pay stagnation in public sector roles.

Support from multiple trade unions

The motion received joint backing from four trade unions: the FBU, CWU, TSSA and Unite.

Their support underlines a shared demand for sustained public investment and systemic change to address service cuts and rising living costs.

The approval of the motion at the Labour Party conference signals continuing debate about the role of wealth taxation in funding essential services.

Relevance for fire and safety professionals

The motion’s call for an additional 5,000 firefighters directly affects local authority fire and rescue services across the UK.

If implemented, the expansion would increase operational capacity and could reduce response pressures currently faced by fire crews.

Senior fire officers and service managers would need to plan for recruitment, training and resource allocation to integrate new personnel effectively.

Procurement officers may also need to assess future equipment and uniform requirements to accommodate an expanded workforce.

Improved firefighter pay, if introduced, could influence sector-wide wage benchmarking and impact budget planning for service leadership teams.

The motion’s approval reflects a growing political focus on restoring public sector resilience, which may shape funding priorities for fire protection, emergency response and workforce wellbeing initiatives.

Labour conference backs FBU motion to expand public services with wealth tax funding: Summary

Delegates at the Labour Party conference have supported a motion calling for a wealth tax on the richest individuals to raise funds for public services.

The motion, proposed by the Fire Brigades Union, the Communication Workers Union, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association and Unite the Union, calls for the reversal of austerity and increased public investment.

It includes a demand to rebuild the UK fire and rescue service by adding 5,000 firefighters, with a review to consider further expansion and improvements to pay.

FBU General Secretary Steve Wright said the fire and rescue service is in a “state of emergency” after the loss of one in five firefighters since 2010.

The motion’s approval reinforces the link between economic policy and the sustainability of emergency and public services across the UK.

This article contains information from the following source: The Fire Brigades Union (FBU)

FBU calls on Labour to raise taxes and reverse fire service cuts

by Associations and OrganisationsBreaking News

Fire Brigades Union sets agenda at annual conference

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has used its annual conference to press the Labour government for increased public investment, oppose rising far-right influence, and demand immediate funding for the UK fire and rescue service.

According to the FBU, general secretary Steve Wright criticised the government’s ongoing austerity measures and said alternative tax proposals outlined by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner offered a different path.

Conference motions passed by firefighter delegates also condemned far-right political messaging and called for collective action to protect workers’ rights.

In a separate resolution, the FBU urged the government to commit urgent investment in fire and rescue, warning that current funding leaves the UK exposed to serious risks.

FBU supports higher taxation on wealth to end austerity

The Fire Brigades Union responded to reports of a memo from Angela Rayner to the Chancellor suggesting alternatives to welfare cuts, including a rise in corporation tax for banks and reinstating the lifetime pensions allowance.

Steve Wright, general secretary of the FBU, said: “Angela Rayner was right to push for higher taxes on the wealthy in the Chancellor’s spring statement.

“It’s clear from the deputy Prime Minister’s intervention that the government has an alternative to making Thatcherite cuts to the Welfare State.

“There’s still time for Rachel Reeves to abandon the disastrous austerity that will leave pensioners in the cold, plunge disabled people into poverty, and drive living standards down even further.

“Instead, the Chancellor must tax the rich to end austerity and properly fund public services and pay. It’s time for a wealth tax.”

The FBU stated that the proposed tax changes would provide a fairer route to funding essential public services, including fire and rescue.

Union warns Labour against adopting far-right rhetoric

Delegates passed a motion warning that far-right political movements pose a direct threat to workers’ rights and public services. The FBU criticised Labour leader Keir Starmer’s recent language on migration, likening it to past far-right rhetoric.

Steve Wright, general secretary of the FBU, said: “The rising influence and electoral gains of the far-right presents an imminent threat to workers in the UK.

“Reform UK is listed as a private company, with multimillionaire property developer Richard Tice pulling the strings alongside Nigel Farage.

“It is a party of big business masquerading as anti-establishment.

“Trump is setting a precedent in the US, attacking jobs and living standards of US workers while promoting tax cuts for billionaires.

“These profiteers are seeking power with the aim of driving extreme privatisation and deregulation.

“Worker’s wages, living standards and fundamental democratic rights will come under vicious attack.

“If all the Labour government can do is echo Reform’s rhetoric and attack migrants, we face a dangerous future.

“Surrendering to the far-right will not defeat it.

“As a Labour affiliated union, we will be making that case through the NEC, at party conference and with ministers.

“The only alternative is to offer a vision of hope.

“That starts with a wealth tax and an end to austerity.”

The FBU committed to mobilising its membership to counter far-right narratives at both community and political levels.

Fire service cuts leave UK exposed to climate and safety risks

The FBU criticised the government’s failure to invest in fire and rescue services, pointing to a long-term decline in resources and staffing.

The union noted that since 2010, one in five firefighter posts has been eliminated, with central funding continuing to fall below inflation.

Steve Wright, general secretary of the FBU, said:”By failing to provide the investment the fire and rescue service desperately needs, the government is putting the public in danger.

“The UK is being left vulnerable to disasters.

“It is the government’s duty to identify threats to public safety and invest in the services needed to protect people from harm.

“Since 2010, central government funding for the fire service has been decimated.

“This year, funding fell below inflation again, amounting to yet another cut.

“The fire and rescue service is facing new challenges, with firefighters on the frontline of both the climate emergency and the building safety crisis.

“Labour must start reversing austerity in the fire service by committing to urgent funding in the upcoming summer spending review.

“That includes pay.

“This week, FBU members have voted to accept a pay offer of 3.2%.

“But we must see bigger pay increases in the coming years.”

The FBU highlighted that the Labour manifesto included a pledge to improve fire service resilience, and said this must now be backed by funding.

Union prepares for summer spending review

The FBU said it will be using the upcoming Westminster spending review to push for greater investment in fire and rescue infrastructure.

It stated that central funding must support not only personnel and pay but also equipment and facilities needed to respond to emerging risks.

The FBU called for multi-year investment planning to allow services to plan effectively for the impact of climate change, an ageing population and the ongoing building safety crisis.

It added that without this commitment, local fire authorities would continue to face operational shortfalls and the public would remain at risk.

Labour urged to match policy with delivery

While the FBU acknowledged that Labour had made policy commitments during the election campaign, it warned that without delivery those promises would remain unfulfilled.

The union said that conference resolutions would shape its engagement with Labour ministers in the coming months.

Delegates agreed to use all available party mechanisms, including the National Executive Committee and party conference, to demand action on tax, austerity, fire service funding and political messaging.

The FBU said it would continue working across the labour movement and with affiliated unions to build pressure for policy delivery.

FBU calls on Labour to raise taxes and reverse fire service cuts: Summary

The Fire Brigades Union held its annual conference in May 2025.

The union called on Labour to reverse austerity policies and restore fire service funding.

FBU general secretary Steve Wright backed higher taxes on the wealthy.

He said a wealth tax would fund services and protect workers’ living standards.

The FBU criticised recent comments by Keir Starmer on migration.

Delegates passed a motion warning of far-right political influence.

The union said Labour should not adopt the language of Reform UK.

FBU members also called for immediate funding for fire and rescue.

The union reported that firefighter numbers have declined by 20% since 2010.

It said current central funding falls below inflation.

The FBU accepted a 3.2% pay offer but wants larger rises in future.

It urged Labour to match its campaign promises with policy delivery.

The FBU will raise these issues during the summer spending review.

Labour bid to amend fire safety bill after “shameful” failure to remove cladding

by Passive

Labour will try to amend the government’s fire safety bill this week, after it emerged that over 80% of private sector accommodation with Grenfell-style flammable cladding has not had the dangerous material removed.

The party will try to amend the legislation due before parliament on Monday and force the government to implement the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s phase one report, published in October 2019.

The move comes after the latest government figures released in August showed that Grenfell-style cladding had not been removed from over 80% of private sector buildings and nearly 50% of social sector buildings.

The report on the first stage of the inquiry into the Grenfell fire said the programme to withdraw the aluminium composite material – ‘ACM’ – cladding from buildings “should be pursued as vigorously as possible”.

Commenting on the government’s inaction since the fire killed 72 people in 2017, Labour frontbencher Sarah Jones said: “Over three years after Grenfell, it is shameful how little progress has been made.

“The government has continuously broken their promises, while tens of thousands of people across the country are stuck living in unsafe flats. The victims and survivors of Grenfell are still waiting for justice. This is completely unacceptable.”

While the government has claimed its fire safety bill would take it a “step further” to delivering on the inquiry’s recommendations, it does not include direct provisions for any of the measures called for in the report.

The shadow policing and fire minister added: “Every measure necessary should be put in place to prevent a fire like Grenfell from ever happening again. We urge the government to honour their promises and back the amendment and get the work done.”

The fire safety bill is intended to give greater clarity over the responsibility for fire safety in buildings containing more than one home. It passed its second reading in April and the remaining stages are scheduled to take place tomorrow.

Labour’s amendment would create a legal mandate for owners to share information on the design and materials of buildings with the local fire service and to undertake regular inspections of flat entrance doors and lifts.

The proposed changes to the government’s bill would also see owners of buildings required to make sure that all residents are informed of the premises’ evacuation and fire safety procedures.

Commenting on the removal of Grenfell-style cladding in the phase one report, chair of the inquiry Sir Martin Moore-Bick wrote that is is “essential that it be done as quickly as possible”.

He added: “Concern has been voiced publicly, most recently by the House of Commons communities and local government select committee, about the apparently slow rate of progress in carrying out the work.”