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| Falkirk row: Unite union vindicated, says Len McCluskey | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has said he is delighted the union has been "vindicated" over Falkirk vote-rigging allegations. | Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has said he is delighted the union has been "vindicated" over Falkirk vote-rigging allegations. |
| Claims it tried to rig the selection of a party candidate led to a row with Labour leader Ed Miliband. | Claims it tried to rig the selection of a party candidate led to a row with Labour leader Ed Miliband. |
| Labour has since decided no individual or organisation broke rules after evidence of wrongdoing was withdrawn. | Labour has since decided no individual or organisation broke rules after evidence of wrongdoing was withdrawn. |
| Mr McCluskey told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he welcomed Mr Miliband's plans to change the relationship with unions. | |
| The party began seeking a candidate for the Falkirk seat when MP Eric Joyce announced he would step down at the 2015 general election after he was convicted of assault at a Commons bar. | The party began seeking a candidate for the Falkirk seat when MP Eric Joyce announced he would step down at the 2015 general election after he was convicted of assault at a Commons bar. |
| Labour had been investigating allegations Unite tried to sign people up as party members in the constituency without their knowledge to ensure the union's favoured candidate, Karie Murphy, was chosen. | Labour had been investigating allegations Unite tried to sign people up as party members in the constituency without their knowledge to ensure the union's favoured candidate, Karie Murphy, was chosen. |
| The claims sparked a row between Unite and Mr Miliband, who later proposed widespread changes to Labour's links with the unions. | The claims sparked a row between Unite and Mr Miliband, who later proposed widespread changes to Labour's links with the unions. |
| Two union officials at the centre of the row have been reinstated. | Two union officials at the centre of the row have been reinstated. |
| "Obviously we're delighted that we've been vindicated," Mr McCluskey said. | "Obviously we're delighted that we've been vindicated," Mr McCluskey said. |
| "Right along, we said that Unite had done nothing wrong and I'm pleased now that the Labour Party have actually indicated that no wrongdoing took place." | "Right along, we said that Unite had done nothing wrong and I'm pleased now that the Labour Party have actually indicated that no wrongdoing took place." |
| He said it was "time for us to move on from Falkirk and make sure that we are involved in uniting the party so that we can move forward". | |
| Mr Miliband, who will address the annual conference of union organisation the TUC in Bournemouth on Tuesday, has said, nevertheless, he will press ahead with changes to Labour's relationship with the trade unions. | Mr Miliband, who will address the annual conference of union organisation the TUC in Bournemouth on Tuesday, has said, nevertheless, he will press ahead with changes to Labour's relationship with the trade unions. |
| He has proposed union members should actively opt in to become individual full Labour Party members, instead of automatically becoming affiliated to the party as part of union membership. | |
| That prompted the GMB union to cut its funding to Labour by £1m. | That prompted the GMB union to cut its funding to Labour by £1m. |
| 'Working enthusiastically' | |
| Mr Miliband says changes will increase the number of active Labour members from the current 200,000 to "a far higher number". | |
| Mr McCluskey said Unite welcomed Mr Miliband's proposals because "we don't agree with the status quo". | Mr McCluskey said Unite welcomed Mr Miliband's proposals because "we don't agree with the status quo". |
| Asked how many of the union's members would join as individuals, he replied: "We'll have to wait to see." | |
| He added: "Ed's hope is that tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of ordinary trade unionists will now actively engage with the Labour Party. | |
| "We certainly support that and we are going to be working enthusiastically to see if we can bring that about." | |
| He said the challenge for Mr Miliband was "to make certain now that he demonstrates to ordinary working people, and indeed to organised labour, that the Labour Party is on their side". | |
| The party must make sure it was "different to this Conservative government" and Mr Miliband must show that "the path to poverty that they have us on is something that he is going to oppose", he added. |