Winter of discontent for Brown?

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said public sector pay strikes will not be tolerated following the wildcat action by prison warders.

Ministers are bidding to ward off possible strikes over pay in coming months.

Visiting a south London health clinic on Thursday morning, Mr Brown said: "We have succeeded in tackling inflation and having a stable economy because of discipline in pay over these last ten years."

He continued: "We will do nothing, nothing, to put that at risk."

In 1979, the so-called winter of discontent brought down a Labour government following a wave of strikes which resulted in piles of rubbish left on streets and school closures.

The memories are no doubt haunting MPs following the 24-hour lightening strikes by prison officers which began on Wednesday.

Mr Brown's visit to the state-of-the-art Riverside Medical Centre in Vauxhall comes ahead of the publication of new figures which are expected to show the NHS is on a sustainable financial footing.

He said the results will mean the Government is now able to put money into other areas of the NHS.

Joined by Health Secretary Alan Johnson, the Prime Minister said: "We are talking about more access, more money to tackle hospital infections, and measures to ensure people get the best personal care."

He went on: "People know that the health service has 80,000 more nurses and 20,000 more doctors, we are building more hospitals. Some have already been completed.

"People do understand the health service is getting better but it is going to get even better."

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