John Edmonds, leader of the GMB, has decided to lobby Gordon Brown rather than Tony Blair.

Edmonds is said to believe the chancellor can be trusted to "tell it straight".

A union source told today's Express: "We're fed up with being on the receiving end of Number 10 spin. We don't agree with everything Mr Brown is saying about private sector involvement in the public services.

"But we do know he will be straight with us and we can have a grown up discussion with him without picking up the next day's newspapers to read a travesty of what actually occurred."