The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Archive

Miliband urges unions to make change

Miliband urges unions to make change
11 September 2013
Rupert Bloor
Avatar
Rupert Bloor
11 September 2013

In a speech to union members at the TUC (trade union congress) in Bournemouth Ed Miliband urged unions to “have the courage to change” their staunch defiance against his proposed change to union funding of the labour party.

Miliband plans to abolish the automatic affiliation fee paid to labour by the 3 million trade union members, suggesting an alternate opt in scheme where they can choose to become full members of the party. He predicts this will encourage membership to grow up to and beyond 500,000 while also increasing activism. Chakra Umunna has supported his leader saying they must do it because it is “the right thing to do”.

Indeed, a YouGov survey, polling 2,500 members across 14 unions, suggests that only 45% would vote labour if the election was tomorrow, leaving over a million union members unsupportive of the party.

Furthermore, Labour politician Harriet Harman says this change in funding comes from a need to re-establish broken links with party members and to “re-evaluate and renew our relationship with members”.

However, the proposed changes will have obvious financial ramifications and cut heavily into the £7,965,000 generated from union funding.

In addition, union leaders are seeing this as a deliberate ploy from the labour party to limit the unions’ influence over party policy and candidate selection and deplore the idea. Dave Prentis of Unison claims Miliband is living in “cuckoo land” whilst the leader of GMB, Paul Kenny, has said they’ll cut annual fees paid to the labour party by about 1 million pounds.

During his speech, the labour leader was conscious not to alienate the unions and pledged to combat zero hour contracts, whilst encouraging the living wage to fit the minimum wage.

Miliband also served to remind the unions of their common enemy saying that Cameron sees trade unions as a “threat to our economy”.

Of the conservative party leader, Miliband said: “Six and a half million people in Britain who teach our children, who look after the sick, who care for the elderly, who build our homes, who keep our shops open morning, noon and night. They’re not the enemy within. They’re the people who make Britain what it is. How dare he? How dare he insult people, members of trades unions as he does? How dare he write off whole sections of our society?”

Having said he is “absolutely determined that this change will happen” it remains to be seen whether Miliband can finally inch Labour away from the influence of the trade unions.

Rupert Bloor

Related Items

More in Archive

Achieve timeless elegance this S/S 2014 with S.I.L.K.

Ellie Owen
Read More

Bespoke jewellery by Charlotte Tamar

Niten Thakor
Read More

Enjoy designer luxury with Alexis Smith Lingerie’s A/W 2013 collection

Ellie Owen
Read More

Embrace vibrancy and colour with PPQ this winter

Ellie Owen
Read More

Kenzo Metallics adds the sparkle to you Christmas wardrobe

Niten Thakor
Read More

A Christmas alternative: Cranberry and Orange Jeweled Nut Bake

Bethany Stone
Read More

An Austique shopping guide: your one-stop shop for last minute gifts

Christianna Pugliese
Read More

A comforting twist to designer heels

Michelle McGill
Read More

Iain Duncan Smith condemned for refusing to meet with Trussell Trust

Abbie Cavendish
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • We Still Fax at ANTS Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Live Lab at The Yard Theatre: An interview with associate director Cheryl Gallagher
    Theatre
  • Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Capote Tapes
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • The Dig
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Crobar: Music When the Lights Go Out
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Green stars, two female chefs at the top and a controversially quick award: This is 2021 UK Michelin Guide during the pandemic
    Food & Drinks
  • Assassins: Exclusive new clip
    Cinema
  • Identifying Features
    ★★★★★
    Uncategorised
  • Schemers
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • Green stars, two female chefs at the top and a controversially quick award: This is 2021 UK Michelin Guide during the pandemic
    Food & Drinks
  • Identifying Features
    ★★★★★
    Uncategorised
  • Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Identifying Features
    ★★★★★
    Cinema
  • We Still Fax at ANTS Theatre Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Booker Prize 2013: Shortlist announced
Chelsea Doll: It’s time to think pink