Unite general secretary is ‘going nowhere’
There has been (yet more) fake news put out by right-wing media claiming that Unite general secretary Len McCluskey is planning to retire next year – having only been re-elected in 2017 – and that a fresh election to decide his replacement will be held this year.
As usual, the right is simply making up claims for its own agitation purposes – and there is no substance to the report whatever.
Unite sources close to McCluskey told the SKWAWKBOX the claim was nonsense, with one saying:
It’s right-wing fantasy, no truth in it at all. Len’s going nowhere.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
The Labour right’s desperation to remove Len McCluskey was amply demonstrated by the embarrassing, near-interminable attempts by Tom Watson’s pal Gerard Coyne – dismissed by judges as unreasonable and groundless – to overturn the 2017 election result in spite of the lengthy list of Coyne’s own malpractice.
This latest right-wing fake news is pure wishful thinking and illustrates the right’s moral, intellectual and political bankruptcy.
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Wow this is really becoming a multi pronged attack by the establishment .
Attack Corbyn personally , attack the membership using all methods available , attack Labours main support groups , I can smell Mandelson’s stench from here in cahoots with any and all opponents of a Socialist Labour party , from Hodge and the JLM LFI to of course the PLP Blairites .
More vital then ever to continue to visibly support the Leadership and despite.
I just wish they would trust us as membership and give us the tools to deselect and take the fight to them rather than be the bloody punching bag .
I am so glad that Len is staying. He is a clever, far sighted socialist, totally trustworthy and a loyal party member. He takes no nonsense from anybody and says it as it is. He is one in a million and I hope he is around for a long long time.
Meanwhile, America’s centrist establishment Democrat pundit class has instantly, and predictably, begun threatening to vote for Trump if Bernie is the 2020 nominee, over the Congresswoman Omar antisemitism smears that exploded this week. Thank you, Skwawky, for your excellent briefings on how this antisemitism crap works. You’ve been invaluable. Establishment Dems are starting to sound like Chuka Ummuna left his script in the Hamptons with Jim Messina.
http://www.timrusso.org/2019/03/this-week-we-learned-how-democrats-will-justify-voting-for-trump-if-bernie-is-their-nominee/
And labour membership continues to rise despite all the crud they can throw at us. 2000 last month
It’s only so later on more mud can be thrown “he refuses to step down”. “McCluskey clings on”.
Worth ten of Watson.
At least ten.
I don’t see him voluntarily giving up the fight.
He should be, over his duplicity with Open Selection and attacks on Chris Williamson. Not forgetting his support for the adoption of the IHRA definition. And look where that’s got us?
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I know I read at the time that JC and LMcC had agreed to hold off for now on mandatory reselection but I don’t think this was the piece I read. It was just all I could find easily today:
“Unite agreeing to back the compromise proposals on MP selections, when its official policy is to support mandatory reselection, was a particular surprise to many members. The union’s general secretary, Len McCluskey, said he had agreed to back the gentler reform, which he said was supported by Corbyn, for the sake of party unity.”
Jack T, you say he’s duplicitous, I don’t know.
I do know unions are set to decline as AI decimates employment year after year.
As particular types of work become vulnerable to each new technology employers and Tories will play unions off against each other – sound familiar?
If unions were to recognise early that co-operation and conditional mutual support is not quite the same as unity – and that having costly duplicated and competing power structures and shrinking memberships makes them all vulnerable – they could amalgamate now and the whole would be vastly stronger than the sum of its parts.
As part of Labour a united union movement’s weight might, while it lasts, do some real good.
I can dream, can’t I?
I do so hope that our Unite members in Honda appreciate Lennie’s support for Brexit.