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Ed Miliband urges 'historic' changes to Labour links with unions Ed Miliband urges 'historic' changes to Labour links with unions
(35 minutes later)
Ed Miliband has pledged to end the automatic "affiliation" fee paid by three million union members to Labour, in a "historic" move for the party's relationship with the unions. Ed Miliband has pledged to end the automatic "affiliation" fee paid by three million union members to Labour, in a "historic" move for the party.
The Labour leader said union members must make a "deliberate" choice to back the party and be active supporters.The Labour leader said union members must make a "deliberate" choice to back the party and be active supporters.
The row over union influence over candidate selection in Falkirk was "the death throes of old politics", he said. A row over the Unite union's influence on candidate selection in Falkirk was "the death throes of old politics".
He also called for a limit on how much MPs could earn from second jobs. But Unite's leader appeared to contradict the idea that Mr Miliband wanted to end the affiliation fee.
Mr Miliband has promised to make politics more "open, transparent and trusted" by creating a "modern" relationship with trade unions, saying he wanted "to take action and seize the moment that Falkirk represents". Under the current system, members of supportive unions pay an automatic levy to Labour unless they opt out.
The internal party changes would be introduced as "soon as possible" and definitely before the next general election, Mr Miliband said. The fees are worth about £8m a year to party and insiders estimate making them non-automatic would cost it about £5m.
'Transparent'
In his speech in London, Mr Miliband proposed that only those who "deliberately" choose to join the party would do so.
The announcement came after Unite, one of the party's biggest donors, was accused of signing up its members to Labour in Falkirk - some without their knowledge - in an effort to get its preferred candidate selected.The announcement came after Unite, one of the party's biggest donors, was accused of signing up its members to Labour in Falkirk - some without their knowledge - in an effort to get its preferred candidate selected.
The union's leader Len McCluskey denies people were recruited without knowing about it, and says Unite worked within the rules. Mr Miliband promised to make politics more "open, transparent and trusted" by creating a "modern" relationship with trade unions, saying he wanted "to take action and seize the moment that Falkirk represents".
Mr McCluskey said he needed to see the details of the plan but he was "happy to engage" with discussions about an improved relationship, saying the "status quo was not an option". The internal party changes would be introduced as "soon as possible" and definitely before the next general election, Mr Miliband said.
"It (the speech) is very brave, it is very positive and it is one I am absolutely committed to engaging in," he told the BBC News Channel. "The vision of more working people, ordinary trade unionists, actively involved in the Labour party is something which is very central to Unite." An aide later said this should happen "within months, rather than years".
The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson said the Labour leader hoped the changes would put him on the front foot after coming under sustained attack from David Cameron in recent weeks as well as galvanise the party's direct links with union members. But Unite general secretary Len McCluskey told BBC Radio 4's The World at One there was "no civil war" within the Labour movement.
'Death throes' He added that, in his speech, Mr Miliband "did not mention anything" about losing the political levy, which "would stay as it is".
In his speech in London, Mr Miliband called for a system which was "open, transparent and trusted" and "exactly the opposite of the politics we saw in Falkirk". Instead, Mr McCluskey argued, the Labour leader wanted to add a "second option", allowing union members to become an associate member of Labour - showing a stronger commitment to the party.
"What we saw in Falkirk is part of the death throes of the old politics. It is a symbol of what is wrong with politics. I want to build a better Labour Party - and build a better politics for Britain. BBC political editor Nick Robinson said this showed Mr Mr Mcluskey did not believe Mr Miliband was proposing a "dismantling" of the current system.
In his speech, Mr Miliband said: "What we saw in Falkirk is part of the death throes of the old politics. It is a symbol of what is wrong with politics. I want to build a better Labour Party - and build a better politics for Britain.
"There is no place in our party for bad practice wherever it comes from. I am determined to uphold the integrity of this party.""There is no place in our party for bad practice wherever it comes from. I am determined to uphold the integrity of this party."
He called for an end to affiliation fees - where members of supportive unions pay an automatic levy to Labour unless they opt out. Instead he is proposing that only those who "deliberately" choose to join the party will do so.
The fees are worth about £8m a year to Labour. Insiders estimate making them non-automatic would cost the party about £5m.
Mr Miliband said unions should have political funds "for all kinds of campaigns and activities as they choose" but individual members should not pay Labour any fees "unless they have deliberately chosen to do so".Mr Miliband said unions should have political funds "for all kinds of campaigns and activities as they choose" but individual members should not pay Labour any fees "unless they have deliberately chosen to do so".
"In the 21st century, it just does not make sense for anyone to be affiliated to a political party unless they have chose to do so."In the 21st century, it just does not make sense for anyone to be affiliated to a political party unless they have chose to do so.
"We need to do more, not less, to mobilise individual trade union members to be part of our party...The problem is not that these ordinary working men and women dominate the Labour Party."We need to do more, not less, to mobilise individual trade union members to be part of our party...The problem is not that these ordinary working men and women dominate the Labour Party.
"The problem is that they are not properly part of all that we do. They are not members of local parties; they are not active in our campaigns. I believe we need people to be able to make a more active, individual, choice on whether they affiliate to the Labour Party.""The problem is that they are not properly part of all that we do. They are not members of local parties; they are not active in our campaigns. I believe we need people to be able to make a more active, individual, choice on whether they affiliate to the Labour Party."
Former Labour Party general secretary Ray Collins will lead discussions with the trade unions on the plan, which Mr Miliband said would have "massive financial implications" for the party.Former Labour Party general secretary Ray Collins will lead discussions with the trade unions on the plan, which Mr Miliband said would have "massive financial implications" for the party.
'Strict''Strict'
The change could raise the current Labour membership from the current 200,000 to a "far higher number", Mr Miliband said However, the change could raise the current Labour membership from the current 200,000 to a "far higher number", Mr Miliband said.
He also promised to look at the idea of holding open "primaries", where all adults, not just party members, can vote for the selection of a candidate in their constituency, including possibly in Falkirk.He also promised to look at the idea of holding open "primaries", where all adults, not just party members, can vote for the selection of a candidate in their constituency, including possibly in Falkirk.
He said such a system will definitely be used to select Labour's runner for the London mayoralty in 2016 - anyone in the capital who registers as a Labour supporter would get a vote, he said. He said such a system would definitely be used to select Labour's runner for the London mayoralty in 2016 - anyone in the capital who registers as a Labour supporter would get a vote, he said.
Mr Miliband also said there should be curbs on the amount that MPs could earn from outside interests and rules to stop conflicts of interest.Mr Miliband also said there should be curbs on the amount that MPs could earn from outside interests and rules to stop conflicts of interest.
"Being an MP is not a sideline. It is a privilege and a duty and the rules should change to reflect that," he said."Being an MP is not a sideline. It is a privilege and a duty and the rules should change to reflect that," he said.
'Not new'
One union leader said making the political levy voluntary had been first tried by Conservative prime minister Stanley Baldwin in the 1920s and repealed by the Labour government in the late 1940s.One union leader said making the political levy voluntary had been first tried by Conservative prime minister Stanley Baldwin in the 1920s and repealed by the Labour government in the late 1940s.
"It is not a new idea," the CWU's Billy Hayes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "It was introduced to weaken the trade unions' links with Labour. People have the right to opt out if they want to. I don't think it is a good idea.""It is not a new idea," the CWU's Billy Hayes told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "It was introduced to weaken the trade unions' links with Labour. People have the right to opt out if they want to. I don't think it is a good idea."
But Former prime minister and Labour leader Tony Blair suggested the changes could be a "defining moment" for the party and said it would send a "very strong message" to the public that Mr Miliband would "govern for for all the country and not simply one section of it".But Former prime minister and Labour leader Tony Blair suggested the changes could be a "defining moment" for the party and said it would send a "very strong message" to the public that Mr Miliband would "govern for for all the country and not simply one section of it".
"It is bold and strong. It is real leadership," he told Sky News. "I think it is important not only in its own terms but... he is carrying through a process of reforms in the Labour Party that are long overdue and probably I should have done when I was leader.""It is bold and strong. It is real leadership," he told Sky News. "I think it is important not only in its own terms but... he is carrying through a process of reforms in the Labour Party that are long overdue and probably I should have done when I was leader."
The Conservatives have said Labour should refuse to take any more money from the unions until an entirely new system of funding is agreed.The Conservatives have said Labour should refuse to take any more money from the unions until an entirely new system of funding is agreed.