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| Ed Miliband to review Labour's link with trade unions | |
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| Ed Miliband is to review the Labour party's historic relationship with the trade union movement amid calls from senior party figures for him to use a bitter row with the Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, to break the formal link. | Ed Miliband is to review the Labour party's historic relationship with the trade union movement amid calls from senior party figures for him to use a bitter row with the Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, to break the formal link. |
| As Labour referred allegations about the handling of the process for selecting a parliamentary candidate in Falkirk to the police and procurator fiscal, senior party aides indicated that Miliband would embark on a bold step of reform in the coming weeks. | As Labour referred allegations about the handling of the process for selecting a parliamentary candidate in Falkirk to the police and procurator fiscal, senior party aides indicated that Miliband would embark on a bold step of reform in the coming weeks. |
| Miliband, who denounced McCluskey on Friday for defending "shabby practices" in Falkirk, has made no decisions on whether to break Labour's links with the trade unions, which were responsible for the founding of the party in 1900. | Miliband, who denounced McCluskey on Friday for defending "shabby practices" in Falkirk, has made no decisions on whether to break Labour's links with the trade unions, which were responsible for the founding of the party in 1900. |
| But the Labour leader, who raised the possibility of corruption in Falkirk, is understood to believe that he must adopt a consistent approach in tackling "unaccountable vested interests". He believes that McCluskey's approach is similar to Rupert Murdoch, the bankers and leaders of energy companies, who have all been denounced by Miliband in recent years. | But the Labour leader, who raised the possibility of corruption in Falkirk, is understood to believe that he must adopt a consistent approach in tackling "unaccountable vested interests". He believes that McCluskey's approach is similar to Rupert Murdoch, the bankers and leaders of energy companies, who have all been denounced by Miliband in recent years. |
| The Labour leadership has been briefed in recent weeks that one member of the shadow cabinet worked with a trade union leader to try to unseat another frontbencher in a bitter re-selection battle, which has since been resolved. "It was very unpleasant," one source said. | The Labour leadership has been briefed in recent weeks that one member of the shadow cabinet worked with a trade union leader to try to unseat another frontbencher in a bitter re-selection battle, which has since been resolved. "It was very unpleasant," one source said. |
| One senior party figure said Miliband will only clear the air – and protect himself from Tory attacks that he is the unions' plaything – if he breaks the links with the trade unions that founded the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in 1900. This grew into the Labour party after the LRC won 29 seats in the 1906 election. | One senior party figure said Miliband will only clear the air – and protect himself from Tory attacks that he is the unions' plaything – if he breaks the links with the trade unions that founded the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) in 1900. This grew into the Labour party after the LRC won 29 seats in the 1906 election. |
| The former cabinet minister said: "We need to have a commission that looks at the union link. All the general secretaries need to sign up to it. We need to get to a place where you simply have one category of Labour party members. There should no longer be a formal union affiliation. | The former cabinet minister said: "We need to have a commission that looks at the union link. All the general secretaries need to sign up to it. We need to get to a place where you simply have one category of Labour party members. There should no longer be a formal union affiliation. |
| "Of course, if unions want to donate to the party they can. Ed is not there yet. But he will be. He acts in a deliberative way. But when he makes a decision he moves very rapidly." | "Of course, if unions want to donate to the party they can. Ed is not there yet. But he will be. He acts in a deliberative way. But when he makes a decision he moves very rapidly." |
| The moves towards altering the historic link with the trade unions emerged as Miliband tried to draw a line under the controversy over the Falkirk selection by referring the matter to the procurator fiscal. The Labour leader asked officials to act after a report into the way in which trade unions pay party membership fees of their members on a temporary basis – within the rules – had uncovered evidence of wrongdoing in Falkirk. It is understood that documents suggested that some union members were signed up without their knowledge. | The moves towards altering the historic link with the trade unions emerged as Miliband tried to draw a line under the controversy over the Falkirk selection by referring the matter to the procurator fiscal. The Labour leader asked officials to act after a report into the way in which trade unions pay party membership fees of their members on a temporary basis – within the rules – had uncovered evidence of wrongdoing in Falkirk. It is understood that documents suggested that some union members were signed up without their knowledge. |
| Miliband said Unite – Labour's largest financial backer – had abused the scheme. He told Channel 4 News: "We have ended the scheme, which was frankly abused in particular by Unite, the union, in Falkirk." | Miliband said Unite – Labour's largest financial backer – had abused the scheme. He told Channel 4 News: "We have ended the scheme, which was frankly abused in particular by Unite, the union, in Falkirk." |
| The row, which has created the gravest crisis for Miliband since he was elected Labour leader in 2010, led to the suspension of Unite's favoured candidate for Falkirk, Karie Murphy. The Falkirk party chairman, Stephen Deans, was also suspended. Murphy, a former Unison official, runs the parliamentary office of Tom Watson, who resigned as the party's general election co-ordinator on Thursday. | The row, which has created the gravest crisis for Miliband since he was elected Labour leader in 2010, led to the suspension of Unite's favoured candidate for Falkirk, Karie Murphy. The Falkirk party chairman, Stephen Deans, was also suspended. Murphy, a former Unison official, runs the parliamentary office of Tom Watson, who resigned as the party's general election co-ordinator on Thursday. |
| Miliband told the BBC: "I am angry about this. I am incredibly angry about what has happened. Certain people have let down this party and I am not going to let it happen. | Miliband told the BBC: "I am angry about this. I am incredibly angry about what has happened. Certain people have let down this party and I am not going to let it happen. |
| "At every stage we have acted thoroughly and decisively. In May, when complaints were raised, we suspended the process of selecting the parliamentary candidate. Then we conducted an inquiry. At all times we have acted to uphold the integrity of my party. That is what we will keep doing." | "At every stage we have acted thoroughly and decisively. In May, when complaints were raised, we suspended the process of selecting the parliamentary candidate. Then we conducted an inquiry. At all times we have acted to uphold the integrity of my party. That is what we will keep doing." |
| The Labour leader made it clear that he is prepared to use the row to remake the Labour party. "Let nobody be in any doubt. There is only going to be one outcome to this: the Labour party will act in a way that upholds the integrity of our party, the integrity of our party members and the integrity of trade union members." | The Labour leader made it clear that he is prepared to use the row to remake the Labour party. "Let nobody be in any doubt. There is only going to be one outcome to this: the Labour party will act in a way that upholds the integrity of our party, the integrity of our party members and the integrity of trade union members." |
| But McCluskey hit back: "We disagree with what the Labour party have done. We believe they have handled it absolutely amateurishly. They played into the prime minister and the coalition's hands, who must be rubbing their hands at this." | But McCluskey hit back: "We disagree with what the Labour party have done. We believe they have handled it absolutely amateurishly. They played into the prime minister and the coalition's hands, who must be rubbing their hands at this." |
| Eric Joyce, whose political downfall after a bar brawl led to the search for a parliamentary candidate, accused Unite late Friday of acting in a "hubristic" manner in his constituency. Joyce, who sits as an independent MP after losing the Labour whip, alleges in a Guardian article that Unite officials began an extensive recruitment campaign at a refinery and a local pub to ensure that their favoured candidate, Murphy, was elected. | Eric Joyce, whose political downfall after a bar brawl led to the search for a parliamentary candidate, accused Unite late Friday of acting in a "hubristic" manner in his constituency. Joyce, who sits as an independent MP after losing the Labour whip, alleges in a Guardian article that Unite officials began an extensive recruitment campaign at a refinery and a local pub to ensure that their favoured candidate, Murphy, was elected. |
| "The aim was to dominate the selection vote for my successor without going to the trouble of persuading existing members to support the Unite candidate," he said. "The amateur, hubristic and irresponsible actions of a small number of Unite officials right at the top of the organisation will require some rules to be changed to prevent another Falkirk." | "The aim was to dominate the selection vote for my successor without going to the trouble of persuading existing members to support the Unite candidate," he said. "The amateur, hubristic and irresponsible actions of a small number of Unite officials right at the top of the organisation will require some rules to be changed to prevent another Falkirk." |
| But Unite officials are furious about Labour's handling of the controversy. Unite officials were given first sight of Labour's internal report on Monday, when they were called to the party's headquarters in Victoria, central London. | But Unite officials are furious about Labour's handling of the controversy. Unite officials were given first sight of Labour's internal report on Monday, when they were called to the party's headquarters in Victoria, central London. |
| The officials had previously complained that they knew little of the inquiry, sources said. Taken into a back room, they were told not to remove copies of the report, but were allowed to make notes, it is understood. | The officials had previously complained that they knew little of the inquiry, sources said. Taken into a back room, they were told not to remove copies of the report, but were allowed to make notes, it is understood. |
| Grant Shapps, the Tory chairman, wrote to Miliband to say that the week's events showed how Unite now dominated the Labour party. Shapps wrote: "This week we have seen the full extent of Len McCluskey's takeover of the Labour party. This is not simply an internal Labour party matter. | Grant Shapps, the Tory chairman, wrote to Miliband to say that the week's events showed how Unite now dominated the Labour party. Shapps wrote: "This week we have seen the full extent of Len McCluskey's takeover of the Labour party. This is not simply an internal Labour party matter. |
| "If you are asking Britain's hardworking people to elect Labour in 2015, then they have a right to know who exactly they are voting for – Ed Miliband, or Len McCluskey. It is clear that you are not in control of the Labour party. If you cannot stand up to Len McCluskey, then it is clear that you are simply too weak to stand up for hardworking people and certainly too weak to run the country." | "If you are asking Britain's hardworking people to elect Labour in 2015, then they have a right to know who exactly they are voting for – Ed Miliband, or Len McCluskey. It is clear that you are not in control of the Labour party. If you cannot stand up to Len McCluskey, then it is clear that you are simply too weak to stand up for hardworking people and certainly too weak to run the country." |
| • The headline and picture caption on this article were amended on 8 July 2013. The original headline referred to Ed Miliband exploring a "break with trade unions". This did not accurately reflect the content of the article. |