RMT conductors on Southern are planning another five days of strikes

A militant union leader behind the rail strikes causing chaos for millions says unions are co-ordinating action to “bring down this bloody working-class-hating Tory government”.

Sean Hoyle, president of the RMT, declared that “rule No 1” for his union, whose members have held a string of strikes on the beleaguered Southern rail network, was to “strive to replace the capitalist system with a socialist order”, telling a meeting of hard-left activists last month, “if we all spit together we can drown the bastards”.

Details of his comments, made in a series of recent speeches, come as Britain faces a Christmas of transport chaos, with a wave of strikes this week and into the new year.

More than 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew