FIREFIGHTERS accused the government yesterday of running a “bogus” consultation over new anti-strike laws.

Ministers sought the views of institutions and the public on imposing double-lock thresholds on so-called “essential” public services, on hiring agency staff during strikes and on “tackling intimidation of non-striking workers” — all of which the Tories’ Trade Union Bill will legislate for.

In September the TUC published its full responses to the three consultations — but now one union has hit out at the process, arguing the questions asked “merely request ammunition for the government to attack trade unions.”

The Fire Brigades Union said it was “disgraceful” to restrict the length of answers to questions to “the equivalent of three tweets.

“The FBU believes this is a bogus consultation,” the union wrote in its response. “It does not evaluate the measures proposed from the point of view of their fairness, necessity or contribution to democracy.”

The union’s general secretary Matt Wrack also accused the committee of MPs of favouring hand-picked interest groups over workers.

“While five trade union leaders were squashed into one half-hour slot between them to make their case against the Bill, the Tory-supported group 2020 Health were given half an hour all to themselves,” he said.

“This demonstrates what a complete stitch-up the whole process has been.

“We will campaign vigorously until this disgusting Bill is seen for what it is — the attempted removal of the rights of hard-working people — and thrown out.”