Unions holding government to ransom with talks demand, says Ben Wallace

Minister ratchets up hardline stance as he rejects claim government is sabotaging efforts to end strikes

Trade unions are seeking to hold the government to ransom" by demanding direct talks on public sector pay, Ben Wallace has argued in a further apparent ratcheting up of ministers' hardline stance towards strikes.

Speaking at Manchester airport, where he met military personnel covering for Border Force staff, the defence secretary rejected a charge from the new TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, that the government was sabotaging efforts to end the strikes.