Union accuses Labour of ‘direct attack’ on airline staff by not backing their pay demand

Comments by shadow minister David Lammy aimed at showing party is fit for government provoke angry response from Unite boss

David Lammy sparked a fresh row with a key trade union on Sunday by saying Labour should categorically refuse to back demands from airline workers for a pay rise of about 10%.

Unite - which says staff are just asking to reverse a pay cut that occurred during the pandemic - accused the shadow foreign secretary of launching a direct attack" on the workers it represents. The general secretary, Sharon Graham, said his comments were a new low" for Labour, which could not be relied upon by working people.