Joint leader of Unite calls on Labour to change direction
3 June 2008
In the wake of the Crewe catastrophe, Derek Simpson, Joint
General Secretary of Unite, will warn that, "It is not the
differences between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair that are the
problem, it is the similarities."
Speaking at the union's industrial conferences in Brighton this
week, Mr Simpson will call for 'New Labour' to be consigned to the
history books, as the union opens up a new front to change the
policies of the Labour Government to show the electorate that only
Labour can deal with inequality, housing shortages, rising fuel
costs and the health service.
A windfall tax on the billion pound profits of oil companies
would redefine Gordon Brown's premiership and win back votes for
Labour.
Mr Simpson will tell delegates, "For years the labour movement
held its breath expecting, hoping, for change after the departure
of Tony Blair. While we went blue from the lack of oxygen, the
country has gone blue for the lack of social change. Recent
elections show, Labour’s core supporters mark their displeasure
with Labour by abstention or switching to other parties. Both
methods will bring about a Tory government."
The union has welcomed the Government’s action on agency workers
which will make it much harder for employers to treat agency
workers as dispensable labour, hired and fired at will. But the
union remains hard-pressed to point to government initiatives where
working people have come first.
Instead, big business has escaped without sanction from the
Government for the grotesque excesses, the bonus culture, massive
payouts for directors regardless of success and a lack of
accountability in the financial system that caused the credit
crunch. A recent study shows that the UK’s top companies are
already saving £20 billion a year on tax through allowances and
concessions.
Mr Simpson added, "We’ll be using our influence as Labour's
biggest affiliate and its’ biggest financial supporter. Not by
hysterical and destabilising threats of removing financial support
but rather through persuasion and demonstrating that our policies
are popular with traditional Labour voters.
"Even one term of a Tory government could prove impossible for
the trade union movement to recover from. Many voters have no
memory of the Tory years and don’t know what to expect, when they
hear Cameron talk about our broken society and the need to ‘hug a
hoodie’ they can be forgiven for being taken in.
"The Tories would end redistribution, they would end family tax
credits and the cold weather benefit for pensioners. They would cut
back on school and health spending, cut spending on youth services
and whilst they have said they will not repeal the minimum wage
it's a safe bet that they will let it wither on the vine so it
becomes effectively worthless."
-ENDS-
For more information contact Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931 315.
Notes to Editors:
A copy of Derek Simpson's speech
can be download here
