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| Labour's fragile truce with Unite over Falkirk threatened by bullying claims | Labour's fragile truce with Unite over Falkirk threatened by bullying claims |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| An uneasy truce between Unite and the Labour leadership after Ed Miliband's decision to abandon an inquiry into voting malpractice in Falkirk was threatening to fray on Sunday amid claims that witnesses had been bullied into dropping accusations and a claim by a Labour MP that Unite threatened to stop £3m in party donations unless an apology was given. | An uneasy truce between Unite and the Labour leadership after Ed Miliband's decision to abandon an inquiry into voting malpractice in Falkirk was threatening to fray on Sunday amid claims that witnesses had been bullied into dropping accusations and a claim by a Labour MP that Unite threatened to stop £3m in party donations unless an apology was given. |
| It was also alleged that the Labour compliance unit responsible for the investigation was not aware of the decision by the party leadership to abandon the inquiry. | It was also alleged that the Labour compliance unit responsible for the investigation was not aware of the decision by the party leadership to abandon the inquiry. |
| In public, Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, has said he is delighted the union has been "vindicated" over the vote-rigging allegations and that he is not seeking an apology from Miliband for launching the inquiry or suspending two of his members. Unite has denied it was involved in any bullying and said the case was flimsy and politically motivated. | In public, Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, has said he is delighted the union has been "vindicated" over the vote-rigging allegations and that he is not seeking an apology from Miliband for launching the inquiry or suspending two of his members. Unite has denied it was involved in any bullying and said the case was flimsy and politically motivated. |
| The Labour deputy leader, Harriet Harman, is due to tell a TUC dinner on Monday night that the reforms to the party's relationship with the union sparked by Falkirk will go ahead, but she will warn that "this is a dangerous moment" – how the two sides go about addressing the reforms matters. | |
| She will say: "We all need to think carefully about who gains from any falling out and any division. And we need to remember that fundamentally we're fighting for the same things - that we are on the same side. | |
| "If we don't have unity, there is going to be winners and losers. The winners will be the Tories and the losers will be our constituents and your members. This is a dangerous moment. The change that Ed is proposing is not to weaken the relationship between Labour and the trade unions – it is to make it a reality". | |
| The allegations against Unite in Falkirk were abandoned late on Friday after evidence to the inquiry was withdrawn by two witnesses. One of the remaining candidates for the seat, Linda Gow, told the Sunday Herald in Glasgow that she was alarmed by the development. | The allegations against Unite in Falkirk were abandoned late on Friday after evidence to the inquiry was withdrawn by two witnesses. One of the remaining candidates for the seat, Linda Gow, told the Sunday Herald in Glasgow that she was alarmed by the development. |
| "I have real concerns about the way the original claims were withdrawn," she said. "Why would people make claims and then suddenly withdraw them? It doesn't make sense. There are serious questions to answer about this matter." | "I have real concerns about the way the original claims were withdrawn," she said. "Why would people make claims and then suddenly withdraw them? It doesn't make sense. There are serious questions to answer about this matter." |
| She added: "It is disappointing nobody has asked why these people have changed their minds. We should see what is in the original report." | She added: "It is disappointing nobody has asked why these people have changed their minds. We should see what is in the original report." |
| Labour decided on Friday to drop charges against two senior figures in Unite – the prospective MP Karie Murphy and Stevie Deans, the constituency party chairman – accused of trying to rig the parliamentary selection by recruiting supporters without their knowledge. The two central affidavits making this accusation were withdrawn. Some Labour officials claimed that they were threatened into withdrawing their statements. | Labour decided on Friday to drop charges against two senior figures in Unite – the prospective MP Karie Murphy and Stevie Deans, the constituency party chairman – accused of trying to rig the parliamentary selection by recruiting supporters without their knowledge. The two central affidavits making this accusation were withdrawn. Some Labour officials claimed that they were threatened into withdrawing their statements. |
| Murphy, Unite's favoured candidate for the seat and a former office worker for Tom Watson, the party chairman, has been reinstated but will not stand. | Murphy, Unite's favoured candidate for the seat and a former office worker for Tom Watson, the party chairman, has been reinstated but will not stand. |
| The timing of the Labour decision, the week before the TUC conference in Bournemouth, has raised questions about whether the investigation was abandoned for political reasons. Miliband is due to speak at the conference on Tuesday. | The timing of the Labour decision, the week before the TUC conference in Bournemouth, has raised questions about whether the investigation was abandoned for political reasons. Miliband is due to speak at the conference on Tuesday. |
| McCluskey told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: "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." | McCluskey told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: "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". | 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". |
| McCluskey, speaking in Bournemouth before the TUC, said he was not seeking an apology from anyone. He said his union had been subject to a "deluge of media hysteria especially from the rightwing press who accused us of everything. They made some false allegations and they got it wrong." | McCluskey, speaking in Bournemouth before the TUC, said he was not seeking an apology from anyone. He said his union had been subject to a "deluge of media hysteria especially from the rightwing press who accused us of everything. They made some false allegations and they got it wrong." |
| Unite claims the evidence against the two officials was always fragile. But it was striking that Labour refused to apologise for launching the investigation and denied there had been a lack of evidence. | Unite claims the evidence against the two officials was always fragile. But it was striking that Labour refused to apologise for launching the investigation and denied there had been a lack of evidence. |
| A senior Labour source said: "No one should be claiming vindication. The Unite-backed candidate in Falkirk has stood down. The union join scheme [where unions pay members affiliation fees] has ended and we now need to move on and press ahead with reforms to mend the link between Labour and the unions." | A senior Labour source said: "No one should be claiming vindication. The Unite-backed candidate in Falkirk has stood down. The union join scheme [where unions pay members affiliation fees] has ended and we now need to move on and press ahead with reforms to mend the link between Labour and the unions." |
| The Falkirk inquiry prompted Miliband to launch sweeping plans to reform the relationship between Labour and unions, including a proposal that union members e affiliated to the party individually rather than collectively. The reforms are to be debated at a special spring conference. The GMB union has already threatened to withdraw £1m annual funding to the party as a result of the proposed reforms. The union's general secretary, Paul Kenny, said: "I don't know where this idea came from. They must have had a bad night out because they had not thought it through." | |
| Billy Hayes, the Communication Workers Union general secretary, said the Labour constitutional reforms were "a distraction and not exciting the people they represent". | Billy Hayes, the Communication Workers Union general secretary, said the Labour constitutional reforms were "a distraction and not exciting the people they represent". |
| The party began seeking a candidate for Falkirk when the sitting MP, Eric Joyce, quit the Labour party and 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 Falkirk when the sitting MP, Eric Joyce, quit the Labour party and announced he would step down at the 2015 general election after he was convicted of assault at a Commons bar. |
| Peter Watt, Labour's former general secretary, said: "This is a crisis of Miliband's own making. The party is now facing an unprecedented funding crisis and serious questions remain over what really happened in Falkirk. So far from being cowed, Unite appears emboldened." | Peter Watt, Labour's former general secretary, said: "This is a crisis of Miliband's own making. The party is now facing an unprecedented funding crisis and serious questions remain over what really happened in Falkirk. So far from being cowed, Unite appears emboldened." |
| Allegations have emerged that some of those who made claims may have withdrawn their statements only after they were visited at home by Unite representatives who "prevailed upon them" to back down. Among those who withdrew their complaints were Michael and Lorraine Kane, who are related to Deans. | Allegations have emerged that some of those who made claims may have withdrawn their statements only after they were visited at home by Unite representatives who "prevailed upon them" to back down. Among those who withdrew their complaints were Michael and Lorraine Kane, who are related to Deans. |
| Joyce, the current MP for Falkirk, claimed the Kanes were told that Deans risked losing his job at the nearby Grangemouth oil refinery if they did not withdraw their statements. He said: "Essentially that's why they withdrew and, without that, the Labour party felt it couldn't finger Unite. In reality, the Labour party could have said: 'We're not going to believe these withdrawals', but obviously the party has chosen to avoid a face-off with Unite." The Kanes declined to comment. | Joyce, the current MP for Falkirk, claimed the Kanes were told that Deans risked losing his job at the nearby Grangemouth oil refinery if they did not withdraw their statements. He said: "Essentially that's why they withdrew and, without that, the Labour party felt it couldn't finger Unite. In reality, the Labour party could have said: 'We're not going to believe these withdrawals', but obviously the party has chosen to avoid a face-off with Unite." The Kanes declined to comment. |
| On his blog, Joyce wrote: "There are still some outstanding issues to be cleared up, of course. Were party rules breached by the signing up of people who appeared not to be present at the addresses given for them? Were some people signed up to Unite and the Labour party at the same time, under the union scheme, also potentially in breach of party rules? Were complainants visited by Unite representatives or lawyers in order to persuade them to change their testimony? Or were these all imaginary things that never happened at all? | On his blog, Joyce wrote: "There are still some outstanding issues to be cleared up, of course. Were party rules breached by the signing up of people who appeared not to be present at the addresses given for them? Were some people signed up to Unite and the Labour party at the same time, under the union scheme, also potentially in breach of party rules? Were complainants visited by Unite representatives or lawyers in order to persuade them to change their testimony? Or were these all imaginary things that never happened at all? |
| "These questions, however, are largely irrelevant now." | "These questions, however, are largely irrelevant now." |
| The Conservative party chairman, Grant Shapps, said: "It's little wonder Len McCluskey's happy. Despite promising to tackle Unite's candidate-selection rigging, Ed Miliband has caved in and cleared Unite of any wrongdoing in a whitewash. And Ed Miliband's plan to put the sole decision over whether Unite donates to Labour in Len McCluskey's hands will give the union baron even more influence over Labour's policy, candidates and leader. | The Conservative party chairman, Grant Shapps, said: "It's little wonder Len McCluskey's happy. Despite promising to tackle Unite's candidate-selection rigging, Ed Miliband has caved in and cleared Unite of any wrongdoing in a whitewash. And Ed Miliband's plan to put the sole decision over whether Unite donates to Labour in Len McCluskey's hands will give the union baron even more influence over Labour's policy, candidates and leader. |
| "Nothing has changed. It's the same old Labour with the unions buying their policies, buying their candidates and picking their leader. If Ed Miliband can't stand up to Len McCluskey, he would be too weak to stand up for hardworking people." | "Nothing has changed. It's the same old Labour with the unions buying their policies, buying their candidates and picking their leader. If Ed Miliband can't stand up to Len McCluskey, he would be too weak to stand up for hardworking people." |
| Tom Watson, page 36 |