Maximum Leverage

The decision by Unite to remain affiliated to the Labour Party was expected, but it has still driven a lot of people up the wall, and rightly so. Only the unions give money to a political party to be abused. Every other penny that is invested in any of them, including Labour, buys something specific. And that is what those payments are. Entirely legitimate investments. They are not donations, because a political party is most certainly not a charity.

Most unions have never been affiliated to the Labour Party. The ones that are, are led by people whose sentimentality about it is a never-ending source of frustration to some of us. "You have to forgive your family anything" is all very well, but it has nothing to do with politics. There would be none of that from Unite if I were General Secretary. There would be none of a lot of things if I were General Secretary. Join Unite Community here.