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Ed Miliband told to stop 'knee-jerk' union funding reforms Ed Miliband told to stop 'knee-jerk' union funding reforms
(8 days later)
Ed Miliband will jeopardise Labour's chances of winning the next election if he forces through "knee-jerk" party funding reforms before then, the leader of the UK's biggest public sector union has warned.Ed Miliband will jeopardise Labour's chances of winning the next election if he forces through "knee-jerk" party funding reforms before then, the leader of the UK's biggest public sector union has warned.
Speaking on the eve of the Labour leader's speech to the TUC conference in Bournemouth, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis accused Miliband of seeking to escalate a "local issue" in Falkirk into a rewriting of the party's link with unions; this decision was "off the wall", Prentis said, when Labour should be fighting for better jobs and wages.Speaking on the eve of the Labour leader's speech to the TUC conference in Bournemouth, Unison general secretary Dave Prentis accused Miliband of seeking to escalate a "local issue" in Falkirk into a rewriting of the party's link with unions; this decision was "off the wall", Prentis said, when Labour should be fighting for better jobs and wages.
"It is a side issue that is sucking the life out of the campaign, and it will lead us down a cul de sac," he said. "It means we will not be elected, and it means we will face a Tory government next time that will be far, far more rightwing than the one we have now. The stakes are massive, and it is up to Ed to get a grip of the Labour party and make sure they are campaigning to win the election.""It is a side issue that is sucking the life out of the campaign, and it will lead us down a cul de sac," he said. "It means we will not be elected, and it means we will face a Tory government next time that will be far, far more rightwing than the one we have now. The stakes are massive, and it is up to Ed to get a grip of the Labour party and make sure they are campaigning to win the election."
Prentis's intervention will increase the pressure on Miliband, whose attempt to change the way unions fund the Labour party has met with widespread hostility among many union activists, who say it is detracting from the real issues.Prentis's intervention will increase the pressure on Miliband, whose attempt to change the way unions fund the Labour party has met with widespread hostility among many union activists, who say it is detracting from the real issues.
Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, which was at the centre of the Falkirk row, said Miliband should be proud of Labour's links to unions.Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite, which was at the centre of the Falkirk row, said Miliband should be proud of Labour's links to unions.
"Instead of being embarrassed about the fact that trade unions are linked to the Labour party, they should embrace and welcome that, because we are the voice of real Britain – of genuine, decent working people," he told a fringe meeting at the congress."Instead of being embarrassed about the fact that trade unions are linked to the Labour party, they should embrace and welcome that, because we are the voice of real Britain – of genuine, decent working people," he told a fringe meeting at the congress.
Tensions between Labour and the unions flared up after allegations of malpractice in the selection of a candidate in Falkirk. Unite was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the row reached crisis point last week when the GMB union slashed its funding to the party from £1.2m to £150,000 in reaction to Miliband's plans for an "opt-in" principle in union affiliation.Tensions between Labour and the unions flared up after allegations of malpractice in the selection of a candidate in Falkirk. Unite was cleared of any wrongdoing, but the row reached crisis point last week when the GMB union slashed its funding to the party from £1.2m to £150,000 in reaction to Miliband's plans for an "opt-in" principle in union affiliation.
Labour has set up an inquiry into the union link. That will report back at a special conference in the spring. On Monday, however, Prentis said he may not attend, adding that Unison would not change the way it worked "one iota", irrespective of what the inquiry recommended.Labour has set up an inquiry into the union link. That will report back at a special conference in the spring. On Monday, however, Prentis said he may not attend, adding that Unison would not change the way it worked "one iota", irrespective of what the inquiry recommended.
"We are not going to reopen this sterile debate within our union because [of] Ed Miliband's knee-jerk reaction to what happened in Falkirk," he said. He blamed a small "political elite" within the Labour hierarchy for pushing Miliband into the reforms when it should be working with the unions to set out a vision on jobs, wages and housing that would give people hope. "There are groups within Labour's political elite who seem to be stirring up issues when they should not be doing it, and that has come to a head with Ed Miliband making the speech in July," he said. "It has stirred up a hornets' nest months before an election. It was totally unnecessary and is taking away from the real issues.""We are not going to reopen this sterile debate within our union because [of] Ed Miliband's knee-jerk reaction to what happened in Falkirk," he said. He blamed a small "political elite" within the Labour hierarchy for pushing Miliband into the reforms when it should be working with the unions to set out a vision on jobs, wages and housing that would give people hope. "There are groups within Labour's political elite who seem to be stirring up issues when they should not be doing it, and that has come to a head with Ed Miliband making the speech in July," he said. "It has stirred up a hornets' nest months before an election. It was totally unnecessary and is taking away from the real issues."
He said Miliband had "thrown the baby out with the bathwater", and that Labour was endangering its link to millions of decent working people when Westminster politics was viewed as distant and irrelevant by a growing section of the population.He said Miliband had "thrown the baby out with the bathwater", and that Labour was endangering its link to millions of decent working people when Westminster politics was viewed as distant and irrelevant by a growing section of the population.
"People will just turn away from [Labour] and think 'What are these prats playing at? … When I am working three part-time jobs just to get food on the table, or having to do zero-hours contracts, and these people … This is really all they are bothered about?""People will just turn away from [Labour] and think 'What are these prats playing at? … When I am working three part-time jobs just to get food on the table, or having to do zero-hours contracts, and these people … This is really all they are bothered about?"
The TUC leader, Frances O'Grady, also defended the role of the unions, telling activists that without the union movement there would never have been the NHS, the 1944 Education Act, equal pay for women or the minimum wage.The TUC leader, Frances O'Grady, also defended the role of the unions, telling activists that without the union movement there would never have been the NHS, the 1944 Education Act, equal pay for women or the minimum wage.
"And remember," she said, "who first exposed the scandal of tax avoidance? Who first raised the alarm on living standards? And who first blew the whistle on zero hours? You can see why some people want to shut us up. That is why we must stand up for our rights – not just union rights, but civil rights.""And remember," she said, "who first exposed the scandal of tax avoidance? Who first raised the alarm on living standards? And who first blew the whistle on zero hours? You can see why some people want to shut us up. That is why we must stand up for our rights – not just union rights, but civil rights."
She defended union funding of Labour, saying member donations were the "cleanest cash in politics".She defended union funding of Labour, saying member donations were the "cleanest cash in politics".
"We are united in defending the basic democratic principle that ordinary people have the right to a political voice," she said. "That union money – the few pence freely given every week by nurses, shop workers and truck drivers – is the cleanest cash in politics today.""We are united in defending the basic democratic principle that ordinary people have the right to a political voice," she said. "That union money – the few pence freely given every week by nurses, shop workers and truck drivers – is the cleanest cash in politics today."
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