Establishing itself as Britain’s most influential union is Unite; not just because of its two-million strong membership but because they have now audaciously ventured into the machinery of the Labour Party in order to covertly pick its candidates, as confessed to by the union and revealed in leaked documents.
This would hardly be news on the American side of the pond where such activity is routine for the Democratic Party. The recent Mayoral election in Los Angeles, for example, was effectively a battle between the private sector unions (Eric Garcetti) and the public sector unions (Wendy Gruell).
But in Britain there is still a hope that things can and should be done with a degree of integrity, the public having not quite succumbed to overwhelming cynicism of the political process, instead frustrated by the general cronyism and class structures that perpetuate.
Unite though maybe an animal that hasn’t been dealt with before. Since its 2007 merger with United Steelworkers in the US (the unions retain separate operations) the union has moved to the forefront of the charge for tyrannical control masked as workers rights.
Unite it seems has been signing up its members to join the Labour Party, sometimes without their knowledge, and then paying their dues. Subsequently they use those same members to ensure that the candidates of their choice are the ones being selected to represent Labour at the next election. This is believed to have happened in 41 separate parliamentary constituencies.
It is within party rules for a union to sign up its members with their knowledge and pay dues for one year. However where party leaders saw it as a way for the unions to simply help expand membership and funnel in some money indirectly, the unions clearly and successfully have seen it as an opportunity to gain serious leverage in the party.
This comes as a result of the naiveté of many Labour politicians who nobly advance the cause of socialist utopia unaware that more sinister members of the left see the plight of the working class as an opportunistic rally cry only to bring themselves to power.
The Union represents a varied clientele of working groups from IT workers to Rolls Royce builders to British Airways workers. The full name – ‘Unite the Union’ suggests a concept of all unions being under one controlling umbrella, sort of like communism.
Labour ‘s National Executive Committee has stepped in to take charge in the Falkirk constituency (south Scotland) which has become the focal point for the corruption allegations. Normally a local constituency selects its own candidates but Labour Leader Ed Miliband, the parliamentary Leader of the Opposition has squared off against Unite leader Ed McCluskey over this.
In Falkirk, Karie Murphy was named as the preferred candidate of Unite in the leaked documents to replace the outgoing MP Eric Joyce, who was was thrown out of the party after committing assault in the parliamentary bar. Never mind that Unite committed procedural assault in attempts to name his successor.
The problem with Murphy is that she is the parliamentary aide to Tom Watson, the party’s campaign coordinator. Having Murphy at the centre of a corruptly administered appointment had led to Watson’s resignation from that position as of July 4th.
Labour and the unions have long maintained a marriage of convenience. One can’t get elected without the support of the other and the unions can’t get the laws they want passed without the Labour Party forming the government. When Labour is in power there is a steady push from unions for more of everything (money, pensions etc.); leading to public disdain as it becomes obvious who has the real power.
Clever Labour leaders like Tony Blair had the political skill to tip toe through the tulips so to speak, keeping enough people happy most of the time so that the unions begrudgingly accepted their slice of the cake without too much grumbling. Ed Miliband’s leadership skills are not nearly so dapper hence he is caught in an open row with the Unite leader which McCluskey clearly thinks he can win.
Miliband has already been defeated by Unite over the appointment of party General Secretary. And while some in the Labour Party urge him to get tough on the union it’s not clear if he can defeat them in any showdown votes on the National Executive Committee.
Shadow Defence Secretary and Eastwood MP Jim Murphy thinks Unite have overstepped the mark. He told the BBC "The fact that Unite are an important part of the Labour Party doesn't give them a right to behave in a macho way of doing their politics, of a way that belongs in the past. They need to remember they don't run the Labour Party. Ed Miliband runs the Labour Party."
The problem maybe is that Unite, and McCluskey in particular, while claiming to have done everything ”entirely within the rules”; are partly responsible for winning Miliband the party leadership and see him as someone not to be followed but as someone to do their bidding.
Prime Minister David Cameron on July 3rd repeatedly referred to Labour’s links with Unite and called Ed Miliband to weak to stand up to them.
Cameron, who is right about as often as there are sunny days in Britain, could actually forecast a heat-wave on this one. Speaking to parliament Cameron said "We have a situation in this country where we have got one of our political parties, where it has become apparent votes are being bought, people are being signed up without consent. All done by the man – Len McCluskey – who gave him [Miliband] his job."
Grant Shapps, the Conservative chairman, demonstrated he is Cameron’s equal in forecasting the political weather: "By letting Unite push him around, Ed Miliband shows that he can't take the tough decisions that our country needs ... The only person he will stand up for is Len McCluskey. And it's hardworking people who would pay the price."
Everything came to light after Miliband’s aide Jonathan Reynolds supposedly had left notes in a toilet after rushing out of the parliamentary chamber (some suspect it’s no accident). The notes were then rapidly published on the infamous Guido Fawkes website (aka Paul Staines), known assassin of the politically corrupt.
What follows for Miliband is some posturing that will make a top gymnast’s series of flips and twists look ordinary. He has to appear tough, he has to appease Unite and McCluskey, and he has to sound convincing while claiming that the problem has been resolved and the guilty punished.
What will actually happen is he will appear annoyed and frustrated, he will fail to appease Unite and particularly McCluskey, he will sound only somewhat convincing while nobody is really punished and the problem festers. Miliband will survive as party leader for now but the union is surreptitiously gaining strength within the party and it is unlikely they will tolerate a non-radical for the long-term.
