David Cameron has given the clearest signal so far that he will not allow trade unions to derail his plans to get to grips with the public deficit.

Talking to the Daily Telegraph he said that he would be “very happy” to introduce new laws aimed at stopping those trade unions, opposed to his plan to introduce a one year pay freeze, staging walkouts.

When George Osborne outlined Conservative plans to get the countries ballooning deficit under control at Conference in October, union leaders almost instantly came out against the plan with some threatening strike action.

Mark Serwotka, head of the Public and Commercial Services union, said there was a “very strong likelihood” of strikes if the pay freeze went ahead.

Dave Prentis, leader of Unison, said millions of workers would be “left out in the cold? by the freeze. Others will have to pay with job and service cuts, while bankers and tax cheats escape with a slapped wrist”.

These sentiments were echoed by Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite, who said: “This was a speech written on the back of a Bullingdon club membership card. George Osborne has made it clear the Tories are going to hit hard-working public sector workers on low pay while preparing to line the pockets of the wealthy through income tax cuts.”

Mr Cameron said by freezing the pay of those who earn more than £18,000 a year, one million of the lowest paid workers would not be affected.

Using language that highlights his changing attitude towards the unions he warned their leaders that they faced “a very determined, robust, sensible, reasonable group of people,” adding “the trade union laws that were passed in the 1980s have withstood the test of time. If ever they needed to be strengthened I would be very happy to strengthen them. But I think there’s a set of rules that work very well.”

Just like Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s and 80s it could be the trade union’s that make or break David Cameron’s government. It is for this reason that he needs to limit any sign of discontent from within and have both fortitude and commitment to cary through his policies no matter what.