Unite’s priority is a Labour victory

I read with interest Luke Akehurst’s comments on my recent interviews regarding a new “Workers’ Party”. His concerns were well expressed and comradely delivered. For that reason I wanted to contextualise my thoughts in the hope that it delivers more clarity.

Firstly, let me say that Unite will be working flat out to return a Labour government in 2015. I don’t need to express in this publication the reasons why our nations desperately need a Labour government.

We will enter that election united behind our Leader, Ed Milliband.

The newspaper reports not surprisingly have been selective in that they conveniently in the main did not report the positive message about Unite’s support for Ed Milliband and about the optimism at the outcome of our democratic processes delivering a cohesive programme to put to the British people.

Of course the media are well aware of the discussions and disagreements within the party on the nature of that programme and when asked questions I will always seek to promote a view that supports a radical alternative as the best path back to power. It is not insulting to talk about Austerity Lite. Adhering to Tory spending plans and supporting welfare caps is precisely that. I remember responding to Luke last March along similar lines, the need for genuine debate over the future direction of the party.

And herein lies the rub.

The history of our party since its inception has involved debate and disagreement on policy issues. It has been our strength and when ideas have been defeated in debate, we have all moved on, perhaps to fight for those ideas another day.

My concern is that I feel we are in extraordinary times and the old ways of defeat – recrimination – licking of wounds – and then carrying on as normal will no longer apply, if the 2015 election ends in defeat.

That’s why I will work hard to avoid that defeat because I am concerned about the Labour party’s future.

A wise old Labour MP who recently retired once told me that he never tired of telling people that the Labour Party has no God-given right to exist. It can only do so if it is the voice of ordinary people and organised Labour.

It’s not ‘deplorable’ to raise such concerns in order to concentrate peoples’ minds and Luke does a disservice to both his General Secretary and the Leader of the Party if he thinks my support for Ed is “conditional” on acceding to policy demands. There are no demands, just open debate on direction.

Luke asks me to listen to hundreds of dedicated Unite members loyal to Labour and I do. [By the way, Luke’s reference to Trots and Stalinists is laughable and shows that although he is a Unite member, he clearly doesn’t know Unite.] But I also listen to the growing resentment of thousands of activists who are unhappy with the current political representations. And it is this that I fear.

Luke says working people in Britain have a loyal attachment to Labour and he is right. But open your eyes; that loyalty is being tested as more and more people don’t bother to vote and if taken for granted they will reject “their” Party.

Luke conveniently quotes Unite’s rule on political affiliation, something I have done repeatedly in interviews (though never covered). It means it will be members who will make choices and decisions should things change.

The good news is that having voiced my concerns I do not intend to raise this issue again. Instead I will concentrate on uniting with all sections of our party and movement over the next 12 months to defeat this appalling Government.

But it would be wise for Luke and others to reflect on my message.

Len McCluskey is the General Secretary of Unite