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Len McClusky
Unite have reduced ties with the LP already.
I am still in favour of collective action
How do you organise effectively without Unions?
I also think they have done some terrible things.
What sort of things?
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Yes, Len McClusky is on the way out. But he's done damage to Labour's electoral chances already.
I'm not proposing an alternative to unions - I'm saying that unions are counterproductive to Labour's chances of getting into power and I want a model for collective action which doesn't damage our chances. If the unions decide not to damage our chances maybe they're the way forward. But at the moment, they're a liability.
If you don't think unions have done bad things I suspect I'm on a hiding to nothing listing out the problems, but just sticking to Len McCluskey for a moment:
- spunked potentially over a million quid of his members money in legal fees protecting Sqawakbox when they libelled Anna Turley
- funelling contracts to dodgy mates
- 'borrowing' £400k of members money to buy his flat
- telling jewish Labour ex MPs to 'count your gold'
- Unite were also instrumental in blocking Starmer's 'remain' brexit policy and instead forced a 'people's vote' policy instead - a pointless fig leaf that annoys me to this day
I could go on but probably best not to.
- spunked potentially over a million quid of his members money in legal fees protecting Sqawakbox when they libelled Anna Turley
ReekBlefs
Agreed. I think the same argument applies to the question about who's going to door knock and volunteer and phone bank and the like - don't get me wrong, those things are important, but members tend to overestimate their input into a win. For the average voter, the leadership and policies are much more important. A large and active membership does not translate into election success, and sometimes actively harms it.
And that argument also applies to the unions. I am still in favour of collective action and I still think worker solidarity has a place in the world. I also recognise that people like Len McClusky are utterly toxic to the electorate, and that our association with people like him cost us votes. I also further recognise that union membership is at an all time low and excludes a significant number of precarious / zero hours workers.
I think unions have done some great things. I also think they have done some terrible things. I want a new model.
EDIT - Blair's Labour was not in hock to the unions. Other funding models are clearly possible.