AN East Lancashire Labour MP today launched a strong attack on the new breed of left-wing trade union leaders after they gave Tony Blair a rough ride at the TUC at Blackpool.

Greg Pope said they should 'grow up' and warned leaders of the Fire Brigades Union that their demand for a 40 per cent pay rise was 'unreasonable.'

The Prime Minister was yesterday given a hostile reception at the TUC as they attacked his tough stance on Iraq, opposed moves to reform public services using private sector cash and expertise and demanded new union rights.

But Hyndburn MP Mr Pope is fiercely opposed to the confrontational tactics of people such rail union leaders Bob Crow and Mick Rix and new Amicus General Secretary Derek Simpson.

Mr Pope, a former government whip, said: "These trade union leaders should grow up. Some of them sound like the 1970s. Why should they be telling the Government what to do on foreign affairs? They should be looking after the interests of their members.

"The way some of them talk you would think this government had done nothing for the trade unions. In fact, it has done a great deal. As a government whip I took through two employment bills, so I know.

"The Government has bent over backwards to help the unions but it can't go back to the 1970s.

"Sensible union leaders should be working with the Government not seeking confrontation. We are putting money into the public services but we do need reform.

"People like Bob Crow, Mick Rix and Derek Simpson don't do the trade union movement any good when they talk like they have been doing.

"And take the firemen. Like everybody else, I would like to see firefighters better paid but they do need to change their out-of-date working practices. To demand a 40 per cent pay rise without no strings attached is simply unreasonable. Firefighters are being let down by their union leadership.''