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| Labour could lose up to 90% of its income from unions, GMB chief says | Labour could lose up to 90% of its income from unions, GMB chief says |
| (2 months later) | |
| The Labour party could lose as much as 90% of its annual income from the unions, the GMB general secretary, Paul Kenny, has said in the wake of Ed Miliband's reform plans. | The Labour party could lose as much as 90% of its annual income from the unions, the GMB general secretary, Paul Kenny, has said in the wake of Ed Miliband's reform plans. |
| Kenny said he would be balloting his union members in the autumn about whether they should retain an affiliation to the party, or to see if they individually wanted to affiliate. He said he would be lucky if more than 10% of his membership said they wanted to be affiliated to the party individually. | Kenny said he would be balloting his union members in the autumn about whether they should retain an affiliation to the party, or to see if they individually wanted to affiliate. He said he would be lucky if more than 10% of his membership said they wanted to be affiliated to the party individually. |
| As a result, the union's annual donation to the party could fall from about £1.5m a year to less than £200,000. Kenny said "the consequences of this are very far-reaching". | As a result, the union's annual donation to the party could fall from about £1.5m a year to less than £200,000. Kenny said "the consequences of this are very far-reaching". |
| Kenny is chair of the Trade Union Labour Organisation, the body that organises affiliated unions. His attitude contrasts with the view of the Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, who has broadly welcomed the proposals. | Kenny is chair of the Trade Union Labour Organisation, the body that organises affiliated unions. His attitude contrasts with the view of the Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, who has broadly welcomed the proposals. |
| The union affiliates 400,000 of its 600,000 members to the party on a collective basis, but Miliband is proposing that no union member should be affiliated unless they have made a positive personal decision to do so rather than being automatically affiliated en masse by their leadership. | The union affiliates 400,000 of its 600,000 members to the party on a collective basis, but Miliband is proposing that no union member should be affiliated unless they have made a positive personal decision to do so rather than being automatically affiliated en masse by their leadership. |
| Kenny appeared to suggest he would locate those who wanted to affiliate through a mass ballot of the union. | Kenny appeared to suggest he would locate those who wanted to affiliate through a mass ballot of the union. |
| Kenny said Miliband "does not want any money from the unions unless it comes directly from individuals. It is a very bold move. It would require them to become individual associate members of the Labour party. I am not sure, and our history shows this, that is what they pay the political levy for or agree to contribute to the union's political funds. If they wanted to be individual members of the Labour party they could." | Kenny said Miliband "does not want any money from the unions unless it comes directly from individuals. It is a very bold move. It would require them to become individual associate members of the Labour party. I am not sure, and our history shows this, that is what they pay the political levy for or agree to contribute to the union's political funds. If they wanted to be individual members of the Labour party they could." |
| He added: "I anticipate we will have to ballot our members to comply with what Ed wants and I think we will be lucky if 10% of our current affiliation levels says … they want to be members of the Labour party. They are two different things – campaigning and being members of the Labour party are two very different things. We have been campaigning for our members to join Labour for a very long time and I have to say we have not been knocked down in the rush." | He added: "I anticipate we will have to ballot our members to comply with what Ed wants and I think we will be lucky if 10% of our current affiliation levels says … they want to be members of the Labour party. They are two different things – campaigning and being members of the Labour party are two very different things. We have been campaigning for our members to join Labour for a very long time and I have to say we have not been knocked down in the rush." |
| Kenny's warning that Labour will lose millions appears to rule out, or ignore, the fact that the union would be able to continue to donate to the party directly from its political funds, rather than give money through its annual affiliation of its political levy payers to the party. In practice, donations from unions tend to be worth more to Labour than the annual affiliation fees. | Kenny's warning that Labour will lose millions appears to rule out, or ignore, the fact that the union would be able to continue to donate to the party directly from its political funds, rather than give money through its annual affiliation of its political levy payers to the party. In practice, donations from unions tend to be worth more to Labour than the annual affiliation fees. |
| But if it is shown very few union members want to affiliate individually to the party, the lack of support for Labour in the union's ranks would have been exposed, so making it harder for union leaders to justify continuing with large donations to the party. | But if it is shown very few union members want to affiliate individually to the party, the lack of support for Labour in the union's ranks would have been exposed, so making it harder for union leaders to justify continuing with large donations to the party. |
| Larry Whitty, the former Labour general secretary who was canvassed for the job of implementing the reforms, issued a statement to say he thought the Miliband reforms were workable. | Larry Whitty, the former Labour general secretary who was canvassed for the job of implementing the reforms, issued a statement to say he thought the Miliband reforms were workable. |
| He said: "I felt that delivering this change would be difficult. But that was true when we were modernising the Labour party under Neil Kinnock and John Smith too. It was done then and I'm sure that it can be done again." | He said: "I felt that delivering this change would be difficult. But that was true when we were modernising the Labour party under Neil Kinnock and John Smith too. It was done then and I'm sure that it can be done again." |
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