GMB general secretary Gary Smith took aim at both Reform UK and the Greens as he insisted a Labour government was best for his members at his union’s conference on Sunday.

He said that Nigel Farage’s party was led by “rebadged Tories” who were “cheering Thatcher to the rafters” as she destroyed working-class communities.

The Labour government has been “too slow, too timid, too open to pressure from the business lobby” but the Greens “are a direct threat” to the jobs of defence, nuclear and energy workers, he said in his keynote speech at his union’s conference in Blackpool.

Delegates clapped as he added: “[Zack] Polanski, you and your supporters — get your hands off our members’ jobs.”

On Reform, Mr Smith said: “I understand the anger and frustration. People are struggling and hurting, but don’t for a minute believe for a minute Farage and his rebadged Tories are on the side of trade unions like ours.

“When many of us in this hall were cutting our teeth as union and political activists — supporting the miners, going on pickets, being on marches, organising against the poll tax — Reform’s leaders were cheering Thatcher to the rafters.

“They championed the policies that have left such deep scars in our communities.

“So, when I hear Reform saying they’re on the side of metal bashers I say no chance.

“The only thing Reform want to bash are our union and our members’ rights.

“Reform are targeting the right to organise and collectively bargain in places like Amazon, they oppose sick pay for all — there’s a cancel culture in Reform and it’s union members’ rights they’re after.”