The Turn Of The Screws

Jack Straw has some front, I'll give him that. As Shadow Home Secretary in the run-up to the 1997 Election, he personally campaigned for the votes of prison officers by promising to give them the right to strike. And, to his credit at the time, he did indeed give them that very right once he became Home Secretary.

Yet now, what still ridiculously purports to be a Labour Government is about to repeal that legislation of its own. And the Cabinet Minister responsible is, once again, Jack Straw. His primary objective is to smash the emerging new Triple Alliance of the Prison Officers' Association, the Police Federation (whose members, being civilians, really should have either the right to strike or their long-established pay deal in lieu) and the Fire Brigades' Union (whose members really do need to watch out, because they are next on the hit list).

But it won't end there. Aren't NHS staff essential? Aren't teachers? Aren't train, bus and tram drivers? And so on, and on, and on.