UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea told conference delegates today that it was in their hands to make a better world after 14 years of Tory assaults on public services.

She said that “it was a great time to be meeting, in the middle of a general election campaign,” as this gave the union a chance to put an end to 14 years of disastrous and divisive Tory rule.

Unison needs to maintain unity after “14 years of Tory chaos and cuts,” Ms McAnea added.

But July 4 offers the opportunity for Unison members to “make something else happen, something really important — a change of government in Westminster,” the general secretary said.

“Unison members and the services they deliver need a Labour government,” she insisted.

“I won’t pretend that, with Labour in power, everything will be rosy. There will be disagreements and difficult times.”

But a Labour government is desperately needed, she said, so that “we get a national care service, a fair pay agreement for care workers, a new deal for school support staff, a government that understands the pressures on local authorities and a government committed to rebuilding our NHS.

“I want a Labour government that will deliver a new deal for working people,” Ms McAnea said.

She reminded the conference that “Labour will inherit a mess” and “it will be a big task to change things and it will take time,” adding: “Our challenge will be to keep pushing Labour to prioritise what matters to us and our members.”

Ms McAnea also told of a recent visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. 

She said that the people the delegation had met agreed that “more violence and war was not the answer” and that they wanted international support for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.