Unions react angrily to Tory attempt to include them in Lobbying Bill

The gross opportunism of the government – using a lobbying crisis to try and clamp down on the unions – has received an understandably robust response from several unions already this evening. Unite attacked the plans as a “grotesque insult”, saying:

“Millions of ordinary men and women in this country are union members, they make up the biggest voluntary community in this country. How dare this government suggest that their membership is somehow on the par with a man who defiled the office of MP by hawking himself for a few quid. This is a grotesque insult.” 

Meanwhile the General Secretary of the GMB Paul Kenny, speaking from their Congress in Plymouth, said:

“This is the height of hypocrisy when MPs and Peers get exposed for taking money from business that the Tories and Liberals seek to defect attention by attacking trade unions and working people. It would be a good idea that before Government starts lecturing trade unions and their members that they put their own house in order.”

It’s presumably no coincidence that the Tories have launched their assault on the unions during union conference season. This one will run and run…