The Sunday Times (# — but see also the related story at Exaro) yesterday revealed a secret deal between Labour, Lib Dems and the Tories to provide political parties with # 40m in state funding and cap party donations (including from trade unions) at # 5,000 which would effectively cut the Labour Party -
trade union link whatever is decided at Labour's special conference on 1 March.
In Bournemouth for the TUC Congress, the leaders of the three biggest unions affiliated to the Labour Party yesterday firmed up their position against Ed Miliband's proposals to «reform» the Labour
Party trade union link.
«The current review of party funding must not interfere with Labour's century -
old trade union link or restrict the right of trade unionists to support collectively the political party of their choice,» he warned.
He also has a radical reform agenda and strong
trade union links going back to his early years as a NUPE shop steward and later work in trade union education.
Having started her Party Treasurer's Report by saying that she was extremely proud of Labour's
Trade Union Link Diana Holland indicated support fro the leader's proposed reforms of it.
If, on the other hand, they decide that the logical response is to replace union funding with donations from rich people, say goodbye to
the Trade union link and say hello to the slow demise of the Labour party.
A David Miliband victory would also undermine the fight against the explicit attempt to marginalise / destroy
the trade union link to Labour.
Blair and Mandelson believe, like those who walked out of Labour to form the SDP in 1981, that the risk of political radicalisation by
the trade unions linking up with the left in the constituencies and parliament, makes the traditional mechanisms for right wing control of the Labour Party unsafe.
In 1965, Desmond Donnelly, MP for Pembrokshire, called for a review of
the trade union link and a loosening of the association.
The trade union link has been put under pressure sporadically throughout history — either from external forces or as a result of internal conflict between the Party and trade unions.
What comes across is that he is not ashamed of
the trade union links to the Labour party.
The counter view is that while this argument might have had some basis before Labour capitulated to Osborne's austerity agenda in its response to the Spending Review, agreed with a welfare cap and now wants to end
the trade union link, that is no longer the case.
What then for the Labour Party —
trade union link?
The Collins review into the Labour party —
trade union link has two fundamental questions to consider.
Labour was uniquely placed, through
the trade union link, to build a living, breathing movement at grassroots level, expanding to include working people, while the Tories were a shrinking party of the few.
The Campaign for Labour Party Democracy has produced a draft motion which you may wish to use as a basis for a response by your constituency party, members branch or trade union branch on the Labour Party -
Trade Union link:
We firmly support Labour's
trade union link, and hope to see more unions affiliate in the future.»
Miliband, as I observed some time ago in a piece for ConservativeHome, should have dismissed as a preposterous anachronism the Tory attack on
the trade union link.
I personally, and other people will disagree with me, don't think the Labour Party should be ashamed of its historic links with working people... without
its trade union links, whatever people think of particular trade unions, what is the Labour Party?
In many ways those of us who strongly support
the trade union links with Labour should thank the Tories for the tough legal framework that they introduced, for it has meant that the political activities of trade unions are more tightly regulated than any those of other organisation.
Any weakening of
the trade union link and the ability of trade unions and their members to participate in the Labour Party should be opposed.
His support for open primaries, for instance, could be used to undermine
the trade union link and empower business sponsorship of candidates, as seen in the US and increasingly in Britain, with David Sainsbury's Blairite group Progress already training and sponsoring candidates in parliamentary selections.
The group now plans to hold a members» meeting on the subject of
the trade union link before the end of August, and it is understood that a similar motion will now be put before the Young Labour National Committee by London rep Ben Butterworth.
However, she is also a member of the Amicus trades union (formerly MSF), and
her trades union links were useful when she helped to shore up support for the rewriting of Clause IV.
And yet we hear that the current proposals to reform
the trade union link — which could well spell the end of Labour party as we know it — are necessary because the link has an image problem.
I think
the trade union link gives us a huge head - start over other parties in that respect, because it gives us a direct link to three million working people.
Jim discussed the history of
the trade union link and looked at the effect that state funding of political parties would have on the Labour Party.
Yesterdays «news» on the Collins review of the Labour Party —
trade union link is that Ed Miliband's reform plans are faltering: there's a hiccup in the negotiations between Paul Kenny on behalf of the affiliated unions and the Leader's office, but it's about -LSB-...]