HYNDBURN'S MP Greg Pope has rebuked trade union bosses for writing to Tony Blair in protest against budget plans drawn up by Labour councillors.
The council's Labour group unveiled its alternative budget proposals at a council meeting last month.
They had no chance of being passed as the council is controlled by the Conservatives.
But proposals to axe jobs and bring in outside contractors to run some services angered officials of trade union Unison, which looks after the interests of public sector workers including council staff.
And branch secretary Steve Watson fired off an angry letter to the Prime Minister.
Mr Pope this week sent a sharp reply to Mr Watson, stating: "You may be interested to know that the Prime Minister isn't actually responsible for the actions of the Labour group on Hyndburn Council and nor am I.
"The councillors are individually elected by the people and it is the people to whom they are responsible and not anyone else.
"Your letter contains what seems to be a number of bizarre assertions, not least that the actions of the Labour group somehow constitute a 'violation of trust and betrayal'.
"I think you are losing a sense of perspective here and it may be worth reminding you that the Labour group is actually the opposition on the council.
"Whatever policies it puts forward have no chance of being enacted.
"Wouldn't it be be a better use of your time as an official representing your members if you complained about the policies of the people who run the council rather than those who don't?"
Mr Pope told the Observer: "I have no idea why they wrote to Tony Blair as Labour had just put forward an alternative budget to show how it could still keep the community wardens."
Mr Watson said: "I don't feel this reply has done anything to help the situation. We only copied our letter to Mr Pope to keep him informed."
He added that steps were being taken to improve communications between the trade union and Hyndburn's Labour group.
