McCluskey gets standing ovation for ‘moral crusade’ speech

Len McCluskey, the leader of Unite union, was given a standing ovation by Labour members for his rabble-rousing speech at Conference today. Speaking before Margaret Beckett and Ed Balls, the leader of Britain’s biggest union told the packed hall t that Labour needed to become the moral crusader for ordinary workers:

“Our duty is to set our vision of how we will rebuild our country in government. To give back dignity and a sense of fair play at work, and not to allow the ruling elite to succeed in their race to the bottom – dragging us backwards in time.”

The Unite leader quoted Harold Wilson and George Bernard Shaw in his speech, and said Labour should dare to do what it hadn’t previously thought possible. Of Labour’s vision in 2015, the Unite leader commented:

“Harold Wilson once said that, if Labour is not a moral crusade – then we are nothing. In the 43 years I’ve been a member of the Labour Party, argument and debate has raged over that issue. Some say ideals without power mean nothing. And others say power without purpose leads to betrayal.”

His words won him a huge round of applause, with Labour members in every row standing to welcome Len’s speech. But they made for awkward listening for senior Labour figures, at a time when tensions between the Labour Party and Unite are at an all-time high. When Len McCluskey entered, he joked:

“I’m sorry Ed’s left the platform!”

Len McCluskey also stoked the fires by saying:

“Trade unionists are the people in this land who create the wealth of our Nation and who are responsible for the very fabric of the civilised communities in which we live. And everyone in this party, everyone should be proud of our link with them through their trade unions.”