Andy Burnham accused of ‘chilling’ attack on free speech as his firefighters are warned over their backing for Reform UK

Firefighters who support Reform UK have been warned over their views by bosses under Labor leadership hopeful Andy Burnham.

Senior figures at Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said they had spoken to staff supporting the party and it was a cause for ‘concern’.

And in an Orwellian move described as a ‘chilling’ attack on freedom of expression, staff have been asked to provide information about colleagues who support Reformation.

Bosses also said they were seeking legal advice on what to do about firefighters who decided to go on the Reform list in last month’s local elections.

Mr Burnham, the city’s mayor and Labor leadership hopeful, is also Manchester’s fire commissioner, with responsibility for running the service.

Polls show Reform is the only party capable of preventing him from winning this month’s Makerfield by-election; This could be a springboard for him to unseat Sir Keir Starmer.

Unlike police officers, there is no legal impediment for firefighters to participate in national or local politics. However, brigade bosses ‘talked’ to those in favor of Reform in the May election.

The intervention was revealed in an email to the fire service by Carl Petch and Humaira Ahmed, joint heads of the fire service’s ‘race and faith staff network’.

Toby Young, founder of the Free Speech League, said the email would ‘have a chilling effect on the free speech of employees who support Reform’, while a firefighter who won a council seat on behalf of Reform said he now feared for his promotion prospects if party supporters were excluded.

In the email, sent in April and seen by The Mail on Sunday, Mr Petch and Ms Ahmed said they had ‘contacted us’… [to] ‘provides some clarity and reassurance regarding some of the activity we have seen recently within the organisation’.

They wrote: ‘We are aware that some staff have chosen to represent Reform UK in their local area. We know this can cause concerns within our network and more broadly.

‘Those involved have been spoken to to make it clear that as members of GMFRS (Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service), our core values ​​and professional conduct must be demonstrated at all times.

‘The service is currently seeking formal legal guidance to ensure we are protected in all aspects and our inclusive culture remains safe.

‘Our priority is and always will be to ensure that every member of this network feels supported, respected and safe at work.’

The email concluded by urging employees to effectively inform colleagues about their colleagues, saying: ‘If you have personal concerns or feel you have been affected by this, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.’

The duo also said they would consult the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) on the issue.

Greater Manchester firefighters who support reform have been warned by bosses over their views. Pictured is the party’s leader, Nigel Farage.

Last week the union formally approved Mr Burnham’s bid for Makerfield; he had previously contributed £10,000 to support his political ambitions.

Last night Lord Young said the ‘clear implication’ of the email was that ‘representing Reform UK poses an inherent threat to the organisation’s culture and values ​​and should be treated as morally suspect’, and noted no action had been taken over firefighters’ support of other political parties.

In a letter to Mr Burnham and copied to Manchester’s fire chief, Dave Russel, the Free Speech League executive added: ‘Staff are also urged to report colleagues who support any group that is contrary to the values ​​of the service; This amounts to an instruction to inform colleagues of their political beliefs.

‘The email will have a chilling effect on the freedom of expression of GMFRS employees who support the Reform.

‘The practical consequence is that a public fire and rescue service run by you will treat the legitimate political activities of your election rivals as a risk to their employer’s reputation.

‘Whether this reflects your instruction or not, it reflects your management; and a public official who allows his institution to demonize or chill the speech and political activities of those who support his main electoral rival cannot claim to have discharged that duty with the impartiality it demands.’

The firefighter, who became a Reform councilor last month, told the MoS the email was the result of ‘the culture Burnham has created in the service’.

He said his ‘integrity had been questioned’ and that he ‘absurdly suggested that my support for reform somehow made my colleagues feel unsafe’.

He added: ‘This also puts a question mark over my promotion prospects because all members of the panel deciding this will have received the email.’

Tony Greenhalgh, chairman of Stockport Reform and former chairman of the FBU’s regional branch, said: ‘Firefighting is a difficult and dangerous job and such identity politics causes a breakdown in team ethos.

Fire service bosses warned staff: ‘We are aware that some staff have chosen to represent Reform UK… we know this may raise concerns within our network and wider. ‘Persons were interviewed’

‘This sort of thing will become turbocharged if Burnham becomes Prime Minister.

‘This undermines confidence in the fire service at a time when the public is increasingly concerned about public services.’

The union said it was backing Mr Burnham’s campaign for the Makerfield by-election on June 18 as he ‘showed consistent solidarity and support for firefighters and the FBU’.

In his letter, Lord Young asks Mr Burnham: ‘What steps have you taken or plan to take to ensure that GMFRS staff representing or supporting Reform UK are not exposed to any disadvantage as a result of this; Whether GMFRS will retract or formally reject the email implication that such activity is contrary to the values ​​of the service; and whether to issue guidance to GMFRS management making clear that lawful political activities undertaken by staff in their personal capacity are not a matter of corporate interference.’

A spokesman for Mr. Burnham declined to comment.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said the service was ‘politically neutral’.

They said: ‘All staff have the right to belong to mainstream political parties, stand as candidates or serve as elected representatives. Fire personnel have participated in elections across the political spectrum.

‘If a member of staff applies for elected office, it is standard practice for managers to provide guidance on maintaining political neutrality in the workplace and avoiding any perceived conflict of interest.’