Labour conspired with mobile-phone companies to let them impose high bills on consumers for international calls, according to documents obtained by The Times.

Frank messages involving civil servants and a minister detail how Britain led a dogged campaign to prevent Europe imposing swingeing cuts in “roaming” charges.

At one point, when negotiations suggested that the EU would impose a tough line on the companies, a civil servant e-mailed Vodafone to say: “UK still not happy bunnies.”

Consumer experts were appalled by the disclosures, under the Freedom of Information Act, which show that the Government and phone businesses acted in concert to fight compulsory price cuts.

And of course, Labour uses a 0870 for main contact. We'll have to wait and see whether that is changed and what to in the coming months.