Labour is in the pockets of the trade unions again

15/03/2010 by Steve Barclay.

The Conservatives have taken a lot of flack over Lord Ashcroft, and the Lib Dems have still not paid back the £2.4 million from the convicted fraudster Michael Brown who used to be their biggest donor.  But the extent of the trade union funding and influence over Labour is now deeply disturbing, and questions how independently they will be able to act if elected.

The facts speak for themselves:

- £11 million in donations to Labour from the Unite trade union over the last four years, a quarter of all Labour funds;
- More than 100 Labour MPs are members of Unite;
- 59 Labour Parliamentary Candidates are members of Unite, including 8 who were Unite staff or officers;
- 25 Labour Peers are members of Unite;
- Unite’s Political Director is Gordon Brown’s ex spin doctor.

Many  senior Labour people themselves are now concerned at the extent of this influence.  Former Labour General Secretary Peter Watt has recently said: “It is fair to describe the Labour Party as the political wing of Unite”.

Even the Labour Parliamentary Candidate in North East Cambridgeshire is a member of Unite.  I suspect those in the Labour Party outside the grip of the trade unions will be feeling pretty isolated.  So farewell to New Labour.

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