UNIONS should not offer “unconditional solidarity” to the Labour Party, Unite leader Len McCluskey said yesterday.

Speaking at a TUC fringe meeting organised by the Institute of Employment Rights on Sunday night, Mr McCluskey said discussions with senior party figures gave him cause for hope.

“I believe we will see a cohesive programme put forward, something of a new deal,” he said.

But although Labour was “the only game in town,” he said: “Does that mean we should give the party unconditional solidarity? Absolutely not. Does that mean a blank cheque? Absolutely not.”

Speaking of Labour’s national policy forum, where a lack of union support meant an anti-austerity amendment to party policy documents was voted down by a large margin, Mr McCluskey said: “What about what happened in Milton Keynes when supposedly the unions signed up to austerity-lite? Well, I was there and there was no signing up to austerity-lite.”s

Labour Party chairwoman and shadow Commons leader Angela Eagle received a warm reception at Congress on Sunday afternoon. Ms Eagle, who is considered a consensual traditionalist on Labour’s internal spectrum, said the party-union link had to go beyond finance.

But speaking from the podium yesterday morning, Unite delegate Kathy Smith said to huge applause: “I want an equal partnership with the Labour Party.

“I never again want to hear Ed Miliband say public-sector workers shouldn’t be out on strike.”

RMT president Peter Pinkney, whose union is no longer affiliated to the Labour Party, told a fringe meeting: “Nothing in Angela Eagle’s speech would make us reverse that decision.”