Nothing To Lose But Our Chains

Now that Vince Cable has put on the agenda the even more draconian anti-union laws for which Tony Blair and David Miliband have always longed, Ed Miliband should renew John Smith's promise to legislate for employment rights to begin on day one of employment and to apply regardless of the number of hours worked. Astonishingly, that never happened in 13 years of Labour Government.

He should also promise to build on the statutory right of every worker to join a trade union and to have that trade union recognised for collective bargaining purposes, by giving every trade unionist so recognised the statutory right to take industrial action in pursuit of a legitimate grievance, including strike action, and including solidarity action of a clearly secondary character (such as a work to rule in support of a strike) within a single industry or corporation.

And, intimately connected with the above, he should promise to abolish all remaining vestiges of Compulsory Competitive Tendering, of the capping of councils, and of the power of central government to rule local services ultra vires, as well as to defend council housing wherever tenants or local communities wish to retain it.

We need a permanent body of MPs who could hold him and his successors to those commitments.