Unite and Labour
The Sunday Times ran this interesting piece about the links between the Unite trade union and the Labour Party.
If I recall correctly, this is not the first time that the newspapers describe Karie Murphy as a 'close friend' which makes me wonder if this is code language for something else, but the more important point is that union money represents muscle with Unite alone now able to boast of links to almost 130 Labour candidates in the May general election.
Now I wouldn't mind if these individuals were truly representative of the wider Unite membership, but they're not of course because they represent a narrow, left-wing political which is not remotely shared by ordinary union members.
Especially in Scotland where the Labour's standing is at an all-time low, yet that hasn't stopped Unite from channeling over £14 million into the party's coffers since Ed Miliband became leader in 2010.
I bet Unite haven't spent even a tiny fraction of that sum on equal pay.
Miliband ‘puts £1.5m at risk’ in war with union
By James Lyons - The Sunday Times
Karie Murphy, a close friend of the Unite leader, Len McCluskey, wants to stand as a Labour candidate in Halifax. A Labour source says it will lose the seat if she does (Alamy/allan milligan/jim clarke)
ED MILIBAND is at “war” with the Unite union, Labour’s biggest donor, over whether the woman at the heart of the Falkirk vote-rigging row should be given the chance to become an MP.
Senior Labour insiders fear that the showdown over Karie Murphy, a close friend of union leader Len McCluskey, could cost the party a £1.5m donation they are expecting to help bankroll the election campaign, a source revealed.
Unite wants Murphy on the shortlist of potential Labour candidates for Halifax, where the sitting MP, Linda Riordan, is standing down. Miliband is determined to stop that happening but panicking aides are split because some fear that the party could miss out on funding, according to the senior Labour source.
“It is war at the moment between Unite and the Labour party over Karie Murphy and Halifax,” the source said.
“We will lose the seat if she is the candidate but Unite are putting on serious pressure . . .
“The leader’s office are in a panic over it because half of them want the money off of Unite. Ed does not want her on the shortlist but the people dealing with Unite are saying it is non-negotiable for Len.”
The union has even talked about the prospect that they could “pull the cash” as a result of the row, the source claimed. That was denied by a Unite spokesman, who said “any suggestion of threats is laughable”. Murphy is campaigning to save threatened hospital services in Halifax and deserved to be among potential candidates for the seat, the official said.
“Unite hopes that, as someone who was for years on Labour’s approved parliamentary panel, she is placed on the shortlist for selection by the constituency party, which will make its own final choice
“Unite has already donated over £3m to Labour for the present election campaign, including £1.5m a little over a month ago. Such donations are exclusively a matter for our Executive Council, composed of ordinary members, and any suggestion of threats is laughable.”
Riordan, a Unite member who won with a 1,472 majority in 2010, announced that she was standing down last month.
Miliband has been delaying the decision about the shortlist to replace her in the hope that Unite hands over money before it comes out, the senior party source claimed.
Labour’s special selections panel, which draws up shortlists of candidates for local activists to choose from in the run-up to general elections, met to discuss Halifax almost a fortnight ago. An announcement on the process was expected within days but has still not happened. Unite’s executive council, which signs off donations, meets this week.
“They are trying to delay the decision as long as possible in the hope that [Unite] hands over the cash,” claimed the Labour source.
“Ed seems to be so insistent that her name is not on the shortlist, I can’t see that they will do it — I think they will do without the cash and cut something out of the campaign.”
The source added: “There is so much bad blood over Karie Murphy and Falkirk. There has been an unofficial truce drawn as much as possible over it. This is reopening old wounds.”
A shadow cabinet source warned that Miliband cannot allow Murphy’s name to go forward, saying: “If he allows that to happen, there will be blood.
“Even Lennie must see that it can’t happen this close to an election — or be made to see it.”
Murphy was suspended by Labour and reported to police when the party launched an inquiry into allegations that Unite had tried to manipulate a previous selection in the Scottish seat of Falkirk.
She was cleared, had her membership reinstated and is now speaking to local activists in Halifax about becoming the parliamentary candidate. The union has always denied any wrongdoing.
Unite has given Labour more than £14m since Miliband became Labour leader with the union’s backing, equivalent to around £1 in every £4 the party has received while he has been in charge.
Almost 130 of the candidates picked to stand for the party in May have links to Unite, including half of those in Labour’s 106 target seats.
Amy Jackson, Unite’s parliamentary liaison officer, has a Westminster pass issued through Riordan’s office.
Miliband’s new trial of strength with the union comes amid a row over the rules for picking Labour’s candidate for London mayor, which is a “closed primary” contest that allows non-members to take part if they pay £3.
Miliband promised that they would be allowed to sign up right until the ballot but they will now have just 12 days after the general election. Members of trade unions and affiliated societies are being given until June 19.
David Lammy, who is fighting to be Labour’s 2016 mayoral candidate, raised the issue last week. However, Miliband brushed off questions about the change in an interview with Progress magazine and an ally of Lammy said his concerns had been ignored.
“We keep being told to concentrate on the election,” the ally said.
“This was decided following Falkirk to show the Labour party was a genuinely open, modernising organisation.
“If it ends up being a stitch-up, that is a double dose of cynicism, isn’t it? Because you have told people that it is an open process and it isn’t at all. The last thing we need is a stitch-up.”
ED MILIBAND is at “war” with the Unite union, Labour’s biggest donor, over whether the woman at the heart of the Falkirk vote-rigging row should be given the chance to become an MP.
Senior Labour insiders fear that the showdown over Karie Murphy, a close friend of union leader Len McCluskey, could cost the party a £1.5m donation they are expecting to help bankroll the election campaign, a source revealed.
Unite wants Murphy on the shortlist of potential Labour candidates for Halifax, where the sitting MP, Linda Riordan, is standing down. Miliband is determined to stop that happening but panicking aides are split because some fear that the party could miss out on funding, according to the senior Labour source.
“It is war at the moment between Unite and the Labour party over Karie Murphy and Halifax,” the source said.
“We will lose the seat if she is the candidate but Unite are putting on serious pressure . . .
“The leader’s office are in a panic over it because half of them want the money off of Unite. Ed does not want her on the shortlist but the people dealing with Unite are saying it is non-negotiable for Len.”
The union has even talked about the prospect that they could “pull the cash” as a result of the row, the source claimed. That was denied by a Unite spokesman, who said “any suggestion of threats is laughable”. Murphy is campaigning to save threatened hospital services in Halifax and deserved to be among potential candidates for the seat, the official said.
“Unite hopes that, as someone who was for years on Labour’s approved parliamentary panel, she is placed on the shortlist for selection by the constituency party, which will make its own final choice
“Unite has already donated over £3m to Labour for the present election campaign, including £1.5m a little over a month ago. Such donations are exclusively a matter for our Executive Council, composed of ordinary members, and any suggestion of threats is laughable.”
Riordan, a Unite member who won with a 1,472 majority in 2010, announced that she was standing down last month.
Miliband has been delaying the decision about the shortlist to replace her in the hope that Unite hands over money before it comes out, the senior party source claimed.
Labour’s special selections panel, which draws up shortlists of candidates for local activists to choose from in the run-up to general elections, met to discuss Halifax almost a fortnight ago. An announcement on the process was expected within days but has still not happened. Unite’s executive council, which signs off donations, meets this week.
“They are trying to delay the decision as long as possible in the hope that [Unite] hands over the cash,” claimed the Labour source.
“Ed seems to be so insistent that her name is not on the shortlist, I can’t see that they will do it — I think they will do without the cash and cut something out of the campaign.”
The source added: “There is so much bad blood over Karie Murphy and Falkirk. There has been an unofficial truce drawn as much as possible over it. This is reopening old wounds.”
A shadow cabinet source warned that Miliband cannot allow Murphy’s name to go forward, saying: “If he allows that to happen, there will be blood.
“Even Lennie must see that it can’t happen this close to an election — or be made to see it.”
Murphy was suspended by Labour and reported to police when the party launched an inquiry into allegations that Unite had tried to manipulate a previous selection in the Scottish seat of Falkirk.
She was cleared, had her membership reinstated and is now speaking to local activists in Halifax about becoming the parliamentary candidate. The union has always denied any wrongdoing.
Unite has given Labour more than £14m since Miliband became Labour leader with the union’s backing, equivalent to around £1 in every £4 the party has received while he has been in charge.
Almost 130 of the candidates picked to stand for the party in May have links to Unite, including half of those in Labour’s 106 target seats.
Amy Jackson, Unite’s parliamentary liaison officer, has a Westminster pass issued through Riordan’s office.
Miliband’s new trial of strength with the union comes amid a row over the rules for picking Labour’s candidate for London mayor, which is a “closed primary” contest that allows non-members to take part if they pay £3.
Miliband promised that they would be allowed to sign up right until the ballot but they will now have just 12 days after the general election. Members of trade unions and affiliated societies are being given until June 19.
David Lammy, who is fighting to be Labour’s 2016 mayoral candidate, raised the issue last week. However, Miliband brushed off questions about the change in an interview with Progress magazine and an ally of Lammy said his concerns had been ignored.
“We keep being told to concentrate on the election,” the ally said.
“This was decided following Falkirk to show the Labour party was a genuinely open, modernising organisation.
“If it ends up being a stitch-up, that is a double dose of cynicism, isn’t it? Because you have told people that it is an open process and it isn’t at all. The last thing we need is a stitch-up.”
