Unite - and All That Shite

So the Tories have launched a full-scale attack on Labour's relationship with Unite, in an effort to counter the Ashcroft revelations. There are a few points they might like to bear in mind. All trade union members can opt in or out of their union's political fund as they wish. Those who choose to contribute do so freely and it's no secret that Unite is affiliated to the Labour Party. In addition, trade union political donations are just about the most open and transparent of all such contributions. Funny how the Conservatives, usually fundamentalists about the rights of people to do as they wish with their own money, find fault when members of voluntary organisations like Unite choose to send some of that cash Labour's way.

As an aside, it's clear that some sections of the media are trying to equate the trade union movement with the loony left. They'd do well to bear in mind that during Labour's wilderness years, the unions played a key role in the fightback of the moderates against the Bennite left; indeed the eventual victory of the Party's right would have been impossible without them. For anyone who's interested, Dianne Hayter's excellent 'Fightback!' and John Golding's 'Hammer of the Left' provide a thorough overview of this topic and are highly recommended.