Those are the words of Conservative MP Aidan Burley, co-founder of the Trade Union Reform Campaign, during a Westminster Hall debate
on trade union funding yesterday.
Not exact matches
Labour relies
on the
trade unions for 90 % of its
funding, while the Tories lean
on wealthy big - ticket donors - as this weekend has shown.
Meanwhile the Conservatives are reportedly considering a bid to include
funding options for the Tories
on trade union membership forms.
The government will use the lobbying scandal to clampdown
on the
trade unions which
fund the Labour party.
The Labour leader used an article for the Sun
on Sunday newspaper to accept his proposed switch in the way Labour is
funded via the
trade unions will «cost us money».
The result was quite predictable — around a quarter fewer
trade unionists opted in to the political levy, though the impact
on Labour's finances was mitigated in part by
unions raising the affiliation fee for those who continued to pay into the political
fund.
While the measures
on «contracting - in» are not directly related to party
funds — they are principally about participation in
trade union political
funds — it is only Labour's finances that will be affected.
The biggest crackdown
on trade union rights for 30 years will be unveiled
on Wednesday, including new plans to criminalise picketing, permit employers to hire strike - breaking agency staff and choke off the flow of
union funds to the Labour party.
The Liberal Democrats are hostile to
trade union funding of the Labour party and favour restricting it by placing a cap
on trade union political donations.
The only reason that the Hayden Phillips» report
on party
funding was shelved, was due to pressure from the
trade unions.
In the aftermath of the General Strike, the then Conservative government sought revenge
on the
unions by changing the law through the Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927, such that trade union members must «contract - in» — that is, make the decision to pay into the fund rather than op
unions by changing the law through the
Trade Disputes and Trade Unions Act 1927, such that trade union members must «contract - in» — that is, make the decision to pay into the fund rather than opt
Trade Disputes and
Trade Unions Act 1927, such that trade union members must «contract - in» — that is, make the decision to pay into the fund rather than opt
Trade Unions Act 1927, such that trade union members must «contract - in» — that is, make the decision to pay into the fund rather than op
Unions Act 1927, such that
trade union members must «contract - in» — that is, make the decision to pay into the fund rather than opt
trade union members must «contract - in» — that is, make the decision to pay into the
fund rather than opt out.
Elections run
on money - and unlike Labour, we aren't
funded by the
Trade Unions and unlike the Tories we aren't
funded by big business.
During his monthly press conference yesterday, Mr Blair refused to comment
on the party
funding review, but his support for a # 50,000 cap would not be unexpected given his efforts to cut the power of the
trade unions during his time as Labour leader.
These proposals reflect the traditional
funding arrangements of both parties - the Tories have long relied
on donations from numerous wealthy individuals, while Labour gets much of its
funding from the
trade unions.
Lord Kerslake rounded
on the government in a Guardian article
on Monday as the House of Lords prepared to debate the bill designed to tighten the rules of
trade union funding.
David Cameron wrote to him in October urging major reforms to party
funding and a cap
on donations, Gordon Brown refused because he didn't want to give up
on the multi-million pound financing from the
trade unions.
«David Cameron wrote to him in October urging major reforms to party
funding and a cap
on donations, Gordon Brown refused because he didn't want to give up
on the multi-million pound financing from the
trade unions,» shadow Cabinet member Chris Grayling said.
So the committee
on standards in public life was right to be optimistic by launching an inquiry into the issue trying to move
on from the 2007 impasse over Labour's
trade union funding.
Sir Christopher's committee recommends imposing a cap of # 10,000
on donations for both individuals and
trade unions, creating a shortfall which would be made up through # 100 million of state -
funded money spread over five years.
Other trips included multi-day visits to Antigua, one
funded by a
trade union and another by a regional forum; visits to Rio de Janeiro for conferences; trips to Dubai sponsored by conference organisers; visits to Saudi Arabia and the UAE covered by the respective governments of each country; and a visit to Florida to speak
on biomass power generation.
To match up to controls
on trade union political
funding, these additional burdens
on companies would have to include: -
Given the succession of
funding scandals under the Labour Government, there is a strong case for a comprehensive cap
on donations - covering individuals, companies and
trade unions.
When Margaret Thatcher attempted to sever the link between
unions and the Labour Party with the 1984
Trade Union Act, which required unions to regularly ballot members on whether they wished to continue pay - ing into their union's political fund, it was a direct attempt to cripple the Labour Party while reducing the influence of the unions on po
Union Act, which required
unions to regularly ballot members
on whether they wished to continue pay - ing into their
union's political fund, it was a direct attempt to cripple the Labour Party while reducing the influence of the unions on po
union's political
fund, it was a direct attempt to cripple the Labour Party while reducing the influence of the
unions on policy.
As the esteemed Peter Watt set out in a prescient post
on party
funding last year, in a typical non-general election year,
trade union affiliation fees will total roughly # 8m.
Mr Brown last night attended a private dinner with
trade union leaders in Brighton, where he urged them to go
on funding the Labour Party.
The move comes
on top of the government's
trade union bill which is expected to cut Labour's
funding from the
unions by as much as # 8m, as members will be forced to opt in to subscriptions rather than being automatically affiliated with the choice of opting out.
The Tories have called for a large increase in state
funding for all parties with more than two Commons seats, a cap of # 50,000
on all donations, the phasing out of corporate donations - including from
trade unions, and tax relief for donations.
Labour wants a small increase in state
funding, stringent caps
on spending and voluntary caps to be placed
on donations by each party, which can reflect historic links with
trade unions.
The Tories have called for a large increase in state
funding for all parties with more than two Commons seats, a cap of # 50,000
on all donations, the phasing out of corporate donations - including from
trade unions - and tax relief for donations.
They include fairer
funding of the
trade union movement; staggered timing of the election debates; and, most interestingly, the holding of a referendum
on general election day to mobilise the maximum possible Tory vote.
The proposed changes to
trade union political
funds won't simply have an impact
on Labour Party
funding.
Labour proposed a motion to set up a committee
on trade unions and party
funding, which attracted 327 peers in favour and 234 against.
The South Korean government has called for financial regulators and central bankers of 23 other countries as well as 12 organizations, including the International Monetary
Fund and the European
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