Union delegates boycott Blair dinner

Tony Blair arrived at the Old Library to a noisy protest

Dozens of trade unionists are snubbing Tony Blair at a fundraising dinner in south Wales.

Up to 70 delegates invited to the Labour Party event are boycotting the meal in support of striking firefighters.

The dinner in Cardiff comes after Mr Blair chose south Wales to deliver a keynote pro-Europe speech at the city's Old Library.

Tony Blair was making a keynote speech on Europe

Dave Jenkins, secretary of the Wales TUC, said he thought the absence of the invited guests was a sign of the discontent the unions felt over the way the government is handling the strike.

Firefighters are nearing the end of the current eight-day stoppage in the dispute over their 40% pay claim.

The polite applause Mr Blair received after his 'landmark' speech was in sharp contrast to the din of air horns, klaxons and jeers from striking firefighters gathered outside the building in Cardiff's city centre as he arrived.

Around 250 striking firefighters from across south Wales, Avon, Gloucestershire and London took part in the noisy protest.

Earlier, around 100 striking south Wales firefighters marched the few hundred yards from Cardiff's central fire station to the city's Marriott Hotel ready for the prime minister's arrival.

Firefighters are sceptical about pay talks

As Mr Blair's fleet of vehicles swept up to the hotel entrance, the entourage was met by the deafening sound of klaxons from the firefighters.

The firefighters had previously held a mock funeral procession through the centre of the city - led by an "undertaker" in a Tony Blair mask.

They said the march was for what they say would be the death of the fire service under the modernisation reforms the government wants to bring in.

Cardiff firefighter Clive Protheroe said: "We are here to protest against the death of the British fire service as a result of cuts in the guise of modernisation by the government.

Boycott

"We have come from all over south Wales and will be making our presence felt throughout Mr Blair's stay in Cardiff.

The firefighters, members of the Fire Brigades Union, called on other trade unionists to boycott the evening dinner.

The union claims the Blair administration has been misleading the public about the pay dispute and the way it wants to bring in reforms of the service.

A Labour Party spokesperson put the number of absentees from the dinner at about a dozen.