The Tories would review the agency workers directive draft regulations if unions force government to push them through in the next few months, according to Jonathan Djanogly, shadow minister for business, innovation and skills.

Speaking at an APSCo reception at the House of Commons, Djanogly also told delegates that he would campaign for consultation on the draft regulations to be extended beyond its December deadline.

Last week, the government committed itself not to implement the Directive until October 2011.

Djanogly said: “If the unions force the government to put these regulations in place in the next few months, we will have no compunction in looking at them again a few months later.

“These regulations are very complicated stuff. The idea that we can settle the regulations by December is ridiculous. We now say that the regulations should wait until the election and form part of the party’s manifesto.

“The government did a deal without consulting anyone. They did not consult APSCo or the REC. It was a beer and sandwiches dirty deal. If you are talking about £40bn of extra costs and on British business over a 10-year period and tens of thousands of jobs being lost - I think that’s worth properly consulting on.”