The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) will draw on a new fund of up to £1m to help more working class candidates win selection for parliamentary seats.

Leaders of the 730,000 member union are believed to have warned the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, that the party is being swamped by middle class professionals.

The union wants more MPs from manufacturing

An AEEU spokesman said: "We think there is a trend developing towards Parliament becoming dominated by (the) professional middle classes.

"It's not essentially a shot across the bows of Tony Blair but it is a shot across the bows of the future direction of the Labour Party."

Under the initiative, it is believed the union will use its financial clout and campaign expertise to help working-class candidates compete in constituency selection battles.

It was about "levelling the playing field", the AEEU spokesman said.

The union plans to raise the issue of parliamentary selection at this month's Labour Party conference.

According to The Financial Times, the union would also work to get working-class candidates selected for safe seats in the elections for the new Scottish parliament.

Research conducted by Aberdeen University has estimated that 13% of the 418 serving Labour MPs have a manual labour background - the lowest proportion in the party's history.

AEEU general secretary Ken Jackson said: "If parliament is to be truly representative, it needs electricians, truck drivers, engineers and nurses."

Some Labour activists are reported to be worried that the big influx of New Labour MPs was potentially cutting the party off from its traditional roots.

Mr Jackson told The Mirror: "Mr Blair is absolutely right to say that New Labour governs for all the people, but we believe that all the people have the right to stand to govern.

"This is nothing to do with the AEEU wanting more muscle in parliament.

Joe Ashton supports the move

"It is all about making sure there are MPs who know what it is to be a working person."

The AEEU contributed £2m to help Mr Blair's party win office last year and the union has donated £20m to the Labour party since 1979.

Joe Ashton, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the move was a good idea as the number of MPs with manufacturing experience had "dwindled to a tiny rump".