TAX the rich to deliver 5,000 more firefighters, delegates at the Labour conference have said.

On Monday, delegates backed a motion calling for a wealth tax on the richest to raise funds for public services.

Submitted by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), CWU, TSSA and Unite, the motion urged the government to reverse austerity, commit to progressive taxation and increase public investment.

It demands an immediate increase of 5,000 firefighters to rebuild the fire and rescue service, alongside a review into further expansion and improvements to firefighter pay.

FBU general secretary Steve Wright warned that workers are “paying the price for a broken economic model,” saying: “While millions suffer with the soaring cost of living and shrinking wages, the ultra-rich continue to reap the benefits of a rigged system that rewards wealth — not work.

“Public services are on the brink of collapse without the investment desperately needed after 15 years of austerity.

“The fire and rescue service is in a state of emergency, with the loss of one in five firefighters to cuts since 2010.

“We need an immediate increase of 5,000 firefighters to begin addressing this crisis in public safety.”