Peter Hitchens cannot conceivably have imagined that any of his readers did not know that Conservative Governments never legislated against Labour's trade union links for fear of future Labour action against corporate donations, while Labour Governments never legislated against corporate donations for fear of future Conservative action against trade union affiliation to the Labour Party.
Everyone, absolutely everyone, has always known that, or at the very least been able to work it out. There is nothing wrong with it, anyway.
He has some other motivation here. Doubtless, it will become apparent in due course. Is he just aiming for a younger readership? It would have to be too young to vote in order to regard this as a story.
The key difference, one need hardly add, is that the political levy is a subscription, not a donation (it brings with it a vote in Leadership and Deputy Leadership Elections, for example), and that one only ever pays it if one has specifically chosen to do so. That is in the starkest possible contrast to the rights of shareholders in relation to corporate donations. They don't have any.
Anyone who claims to have paid the levy without knowing is either a liar or illiterate, which are not mutually exclusive categories. I don't mean politically illiterate, although that, too. I mean unable to read a simple form. Or else, the person making that claim is a liar.
His basic factual error about union political funds has been corrected by his readers. You are right, anyone who could believe what he suggested would have to be too young ever to have worked. Or too rich ever to have needed to. As you might put it, not mutually exclusive categories. He must have known that his own audience would never let him get away with it. Very strange. As you say, some other motivation not yet revealed.
ReplyDeleteHe's replied to his critics on that article in his latest post.
ReplyDeleteHis main (correct) point is Thatcher saved Labour from well- deserved destruction.
She had the majority and the mandate but she didn't do it.
You lot should be thanking Thatcher that your awful party still exists.
And,as Peter says , the trade unions are now just a lobby for political correctness. And more taxpayers money.
You wish.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't.
But you do.