A leading trade union boss has accused Keir Starmer of leading the UK towards “austerity mark 2” as she launched a bitter attack on the prime minister.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite – which has donated more than £500,000 to Labour MPs this year – urged the prime minister to ditch the “cruel” policy of scrapping winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.

She made her comments on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News as Labour’s annual conference kicks off in Liverpool.

Asked what she wanted to hear in Starmer’s keynote speech on Tuesday, Graham said: “I think the priority that I’d like to hear from him is that
he’s going to reverse the decision on the winter fuel allowance. It’s a cruel policy. He needs to reverse it. And I’d like him to say that he’s made a misstep and to reverse that
policy.

“I’d also like him to say that we’re not going to take this country down austerity mark 2. People voted for change. They need to see change. And he needs to reverse the winter fuel allowance [decision] and let people have that £300 they can put their heating on this winter.”

She later added: “I’ve got a million workers in my union and pensioners.

“But the reality is the mood music here is that they are taking away from the poorest in our society now. And actually the conversation they’re having is walking us into austerity mark 2.

“Nobody wants to see that. Workers don’t want to see it, communities don’t want to see it. And I can tell you, the pensioners don’t want to see it either.”

Graham said the government should introduce a 1% wealth tax on the richest people in the country, which she claimed would raise £25 billion.

“That would take away the so-called black hole, job done, and
we’d have £3 billion left over.”