Corbyn says “welcome home” as firefighters’ union reaffiliates to Labour

The Fire Brigades Union have today voted to affiliate to the Labour Party – 11 years after breaking off ties. The decision was made at a special conference in Blackpool.

The news that the union, which has 38,000 members, wants to rebuild links to Labour has been welcomed by Jeremy Corbyn who said the move “marks a milestone in the building of our new politics and our labour movement.”

The FBU’s general secretary Matt Wrack, who is considered a left winger within the TUC, supported the reaffiliation, and said that Corbyn’s election had given his members hope.

“Firefighters recognise that the Labour party has changed for the better since the election of Jeremy Corbyn, who has given our members and supporters hope that we can shift the political debate in favour of working people,” he said. “We have a Labour Party leader and shadow chancellor who are vehemently opposed to austerity, who are ready to fight for a fair alternative that doesn’t attack the living standards, livelihoods and the hard won rights of working people.”

Wrack told the Morning Star that he saw the role of the FBU as allies of Corbyn and John McDonnell, and would look to defend the leadership from critics within Labour.

Corbyn said the party’s NEC would now deal with the “formalities” of seeing the FBU rejoin. He said “It is great news that FBU have voted to come back to Labour, their vote marks a milestone in the building of our new politics and our labour movement.”

Echoing the language his campaign used during the leadership contest, Corbyn said he wanted to “welcome home” those who had chosen to leave Labour in the dispute over pay in 2004:

“Our National Executive Committee will now deal with the formalities, but to those FBU members who are now in a Labour-affiliating union for the first time, I look forward to extending a warm welcome.

“And to those who are coming back to Labour with the union, I say welcome home.”