Brown warns unions of 'no return'

Gordon Brown spoke to journalists en route to Japan

Gordon Brown has warned trade unions there will be "no return" to past laws and no pay deals as political parties prepare to submit annual accounts.

Mr Brown was speaking to journalists on his way to the G8 summit in Japan.

It is likely Labour's accounts will reveal as much as 80% of its funding now comes from unions in the wake of the cash for honours scandal.

BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said the comments were to signal Labour was not in hock to its paymasters.

Mr Brown's words came as trade unions prepared policy demands for the next Labour manifesto.

The Tories have accused the prime minister of being "in hock" to the unions and planning to relax industrial relations laws.

While we will push ahead with our family-friendly agenda we will do nothing that puts employment and future prosperity at risk Gordon Brown

The GMB revealed over the weekend that it would be lobbying for "modernising" of voting in industrial action and election ballots, reform of the National Insurance system and better regulation of energy prices.

General secretary Paul Kenny said: "The party is very much behind in the polls, but if we promote ideas and issues which people are concerned about, including taxes, housing and energy prices, Labour can win back the hundreds of thousands of voters it has lost."

However, Mr Brown ruled out going back on recent reforms of trade union law.

"Successful government are those whose eyes are fixed on the future not harking back to the past," he said.

"The countries that prosper in the future will be those that combine fairness with flexibility to achieve full employment.

"So there will be no return to the 1970s, the 1980s or even the 1990s when it comes to union rights, no retreat from continued modernisation and there can be no question of any re-introduction of secondary picketing rights.

"While we will push ahead with our family-friendly agenda we will do nothing that puts employment and future prosperity at risk."

Mr Brown and the other G8 leaders were being joined by China, India, Brazil and South Africa, among others, at the annual summit. It is being held at a resort on the northern island of Hokkaido.