The chutzpah of Peter Mandelson – and why we need more trade unionists

Lord Mandelson, or Baron Mandelson of Foy, as he should be referred to since he was packed off to the House of Lords by a small cabal, recently accused the Unite union of ‘manipulating selection procedures’ in the Labour Party. He went on to warn Ed Miliband that this ‘stores up danger for a future Labour government’. Irony has always been in as short supply as sheer chutzpah has been plentiful with old Mandy – but since his faithful disciple Patrick Wintour devoted so much space in The Guardian to his musings, it has been refreshing to read the fulsome riposte delivered by Len McCluskey in the same newspaper.

Mandelson’s sheer chutzpah was demonstrated by the event he chose to make it at; a conference organised by the ‘Progress’ organisation, which is financed primarily by Lord Sainsbury, a former supporter of the breakaway SDP in the 1980s. ‘Progress’ has been heavily engaged in helping its chosen candidates get selected in a number of constituencies.

Mandelson’s inherent shortage of irony is demonstrated by the fact that he owes his original selection as a Labour candidate to a very small cabal indeed – primarily former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and former senior GMB official Tom Burlison. In the days before ‘One Member, One Vote’, the GMB was instrumental in securing Hartlepool for Peter Mandelson.

Another cabal was responsible for ensuring that one Major Eric Joyce was parachuted into Falkirk, ensuring that the estimable sitting Labour MP, Dennis Canavan was cast into the wilderness. Joyce, who lost the Labour whip after his drunken antics in Parliament, is apparently threanting to stand down as MP before the election, ridiculously alleging ‘infiltration’ of the Falkirk party.

Unite and the GMB are keen to see more working class candidates and union members selected to stand for Parliament. And since the professionalisation of politics has led to a decline – by two thirds – of those from blue collar manual jobs since Margaret Thatcher was elected in 1979, there is clearly an enormous job to be done. When I first became active in the Labour Party in the late 1970s, there were a significant and influential number of MPs who had worked in heavy industry, manufacturing or in the front-line of the public services. Their experience of the real World gave then a very different perspective; their politics were often direct, engaged and informed. While there was a preponderance of often middle aged or older former union officials and experienced councillors, there was no doubt that between them they brought much along to the party.

Unite and the GMB could have walked away from the Labour Party, as have sections of the Labour Right twice in the last century – after all, under Tony Blair the unions were regarded as ‘embarrassing elderly relatives’. Their cheques were still wanted, but their input into policy and candidate selection was not. For a time, there was a serious effort by some of those claiming to be Tony Blair’s ‘outriders’, to break the link with the unions altogether.

Fortunately Unite and the GMB have decided to engage and help rebuild Labour from the bottom up. Other unions will hopefully follow in their wake. Persuading union members and activists to join frequently moribund local parties is a good start. Working to ensure that some of the most talented and enthusiastic union members get selected as candidates for councils, Parliament and the European Parliament is the next logical step.

So far the active involvement of the unions has led to a more diverse selection of candidates being selected in a few more seats. There need to be a whole lot more; in particular we need to see more women, particularly working women, and older women being selected, we need to see representation for Sikhs and we need to see more ethnic minorities being selected across the board. We also need the wise counsel of the unions in helping to heal some of the wholly avoidable divisions that have opened up particularly in Tower Hamlets and Harrow in London.

But this process cannot and should not just be about class and diversity. What Labour really needs are people from diverse backgrounds who are rooted in the Labour Movement, are trades unionists and who are democratic socialists.