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| Ed Miliband's reform plans rejected as 'dog whistle' politics by union leader | Ed Miliband's reform plans rejected as 'dog whistle' politics by union leader |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Ed Miliband's plans to reform the Labour party's links with trade unions were rejected by a senior union leader on Tuesday as "dog whistle" politics that would do nothing to solve the problems of ordinary people in Britain. | |
| In the first sign of the scale of the struggle facing Miliband to push through these reforms, Billy Hayes, the Communication Workers Union general secretary, rejected the proposals and questioned whether they would be accepted by the party. | In the first sign of the scale of the struggle facing Miliband to push through these reforms, Billy Hayes, the Communication Workers Union general secretary, rejected the proposals and questioned whether they would be accepted by the party. |
| It is likely the unions will insist they will require changes to the party rules, and so may require the Labour leader to win a majority at the party conference where the unions have half the vote. Changes to party rules take as long as two years to bring into effect. | It is likely the unions will insist they will require changes to the party rules, and so may require the Labour leader to win a majority at the party conference where the unions have half the vote. Changes to party rules take as long as two years to bring into effect. |
| Miliband has proposed that individual political levy payers choose to affiliate to the party rather than being automatically affiliated at £3 a time by union headquarters. Hayes said the proposal was "a very old fashioned idea", adding it was first put forward by Stanley Baldwin in 1927. | |
| Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Hayes said: "The big problem in British politics is posh people's politics – that ordinary people do not have a say in what is going in political parties. The one thing trade unions do though their activities is give a focus on what is happening in the workplace. Some of the biggest changes in politics have been due to the direct link between trade unions and political parties." | |
| He defended the current relationship, saying people could opt out of paying the levy if they chose to. | |
| He added: "This is all about dog whistles. This is about sending out a signal there is a problem in the relationship with the trade unions – nothing excites the political class more than an attack on the trade union movement. This is what is happening There are some people in the party that have a great deal of difficulty dealing with ordinary working people." | |
| Asked if the unions would accept the proposals, Hayes said: "We are going to make sure our voice is heard. Let's see what happens in the process." | Asked if the unions would accept the proposals, Hayes said: "We are going to make sure our voice is heard. Let's see what happens in the process." |
| He also rejected the idea of primaries in which registered supporters, and not just full party members, are allowed to vote in party elections. Hayes said "primaries in the states have led to lots of rich people dominating the politics". | He also rejected the idea of primaries in which registered supporters, and not just full party members, are allowed to vote in party elections. Hayes said "primaries in the states have led to lots of rich people dominating the politics". |
| He claimed Miliband's initiative was off the back of one constituency selection problem, adding he did not know the ins and outs of what had happened in the seat, but pointed out it would not be the first time there has been a problem with a constituency selection. | |
| Miliband will say on Tuesday that his reforms, due to be outlined in a speech, mean turning the party's back on unpopular "machine politics". | Miliband will say on Tuesday that his reforms, due to be outlined in a speech, mean turning the party's back on unpopular "machine politics". |
| The proposals to recast the union link put his leadership on the line and may be criticised as a diversion of Labour's energies less than two years ahead of a general election. | The proposals to recast the union link put his leadership on the line and may be criticised as a diversion of Labour's energies less than two years ahead of a general election. |
| Miliband will argue the proposals are not designed to break the link with the unions, but instead reinvigorate politics. He will say: "What we saw in Falkirk is the death throes of the old politics. It is a symbol of what is wrong with politics. That was a politics closed, a politics of the machine, a politics hated and rightly so." | Miliband will argue the proposals are not designed to break the link with the unions, but instead reinvigorate politics. He will say: "What we saw in Falkirk is the death throes of the old politics. It is a symbol of what is wrong with politics. That was a politics closed, a politics of the machine, a politics hated and rightly so." |
| Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey, writing in the Guardian, defends his union's actions, albeit in more emollient language than before. "If Ed Miliband wants to find ways to get more individual trade unionists active in the party, exercising their own judgment on policy and people, I would join with him. | Unite's general secretary, Len McCluskey, writing in the Guardian, defends his union's actions, albeit in more emollient language than before. "If Ed Miliband wants to find ways to get more individual trade unionists active in the party, exercising their own judgment on policy and people, I would join with him. |
| "Done right, this could be a 21st-century way of ensuring working-class influence in the party, just as traditional affiliation has been hitherto." | "Done right, this could be a 21st-century way of ensuring working-class influence in the party, just as traditional affiliation has been hitherto." |
| The Labour leader's plans also have the longer-term potential to reinvigorate cross-party talks on the funding of political parties. | The Labour leader's plans also have the longer-term potential to reinvigorate cross-party talks on the funding of political parties. |
| Labour had been opposed to giving trade unionists who pay the political levy the right to choose whether to opt in before some of their dues were used to fund the party. | Labour had been opposed to giving trade unionists who pay the political levy the right to choose whether to opt in before some of their dues were used to fund the party. |
| Miliband is preparing to insist that "Labour wants a closer relationship with millions of working people affiliated to the party through the trade union link". | Miliband is preparing to insist that "Labour wants a closer relationship with millions of working people affiliated to the party through the trade union link". |
| But he is expected to add they "should no longer be automatically affiliated to the party, but choose as individuals whether they wish to do so". | But he is expected to add they "should no longer be automatically affiliated to the party, but choose as individuals whether they wish to do so". |
| He will add: "Trade unions should have political funds for all kinds of campaigns and activities as they choose. But I do not want any individual to be paying money to the Labour party in affiliation fees unless they have deliberately chosen to do so. I believe we need people to be able to make a more active individual choice on whether they affiliate to the Labour party." | He will add: "Trade unions should have political funds for all kinds of campaigns and activities as they choose. But I do not want any individual to be paying money to the Labour party in affiliation fees unless they have deliberately chosen to do so. I believe we need people to be able to make a more active individual choice on whether they affiliate to the Labour party." |
| In his second major reform he will propose US-style primaries for parliamentary and mayoral posts in which registered supporters, as well as full party members, are able to vote. | In his second major reform he will propose US-style primaries for parliamentary and mayoral posts in which registered supporters, as well as full party members, are able to vote. |
| An individual will be able to register for free, or at a minimal sum, deploying a model used by France's Socialist party successfully during its French presidential campaigns. | An individual will be able to register for free, or at a minimal sum, deploying a model used by France's Socialist party successfully during its French presidential campaigns. |
| Miliband says that in the case of the London mayoral election in 2016, Labour will choose its candidate through a primary, where voters will either be party members or register as supporters "up to the day of the ballot". | Miliband says that in the case of the London mayoral election in 2016, Labour will choose its candidate through a primary, where voters will either be party members or register as supporters "up to the day of the ballot". |
| He says he will examine how the same idea can be used "where a sitting MP is retiring and where there are not sufficient members of the local party to make this a properly representative selection process". | He says he will examine how the same idea can be used "where a sitting MP is retiring and where there are not sufficient members of the local party to make this a properly representative selection process". |
| Party officials said the proposal to switch to a system of union political levy payers opting into affiliation of the party may see Labour take a financial hit. Most union day-to-day funding of Labour comes through bulk affiliation of its levy payers, a payment that also gives unions votes at party conference. |