Tomorrow is the last practical opportunity for Unison members to vote and have their say on who will represent them as the union’s next general secretary. Widely-endorsed grassroots candidate Paul Holmes explains below why it matters, in videos from his campaign:
A change in the nature of Unison’s leadership is even more vital for the Labour movement when Keir Starmer and the Labour right are trying to purge the left and its influence from the Labour party.
Voting is by post and ballots must be delivered no later than 5pm this Friday to be counted.
Unison has long been dominated by the right and has been criticised by its members for its weak positions. If you want to see change – in the union and/or in the Labour Party – make sure you vote.
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Labour’s right may be planning to eject the left as some here believe, but if so it’s an idiotic and suicidal policy.
Even if they succeed, Starmer’s donors might increase in numbers and in generosity, and may even make up for the loss of ex-members’ contributions – but for how long, and who’ll do the canvassing?
At some point even a completely idiotic rich donor would realise there’s no point donating more than a bare minimum – purely to give the appearance of an opposition – to a party that merely splits the right wing vote with the Tory party.
Knowledgeable left wingers won’t vote for such a right wing Labour just to keep the marginally more right wing Tories out, so all Starmer will have are fellow “centrists” and the gullibles. That means hardly any MPs and the end of the gravy train.
If the unions were to disaffiliate and defund Labour though, and with their 6.5 million membership build a new, genuinely left wing party in the ashes of Covid and New Austerity, the political landscape will more accurately reflect the truth of the situation – that there is no ‘centre’, there is only us and them – left and right – and now it’s the right that’s divided.
I guess it depends on just how bad things become for the Unions in Sir Shitehawks Nu Labor , he’s is not ever to be underestimated , despite the furore over JC and his supposed calamitous decisions , Shitehawk is not ever stupid .He knows dam well he’s got a fine line to walk between purging all effective socialists from the party be they MPs or members in order to achieve pacification and pliability ensuring that the status Quo is maintained to the benefit of the elite and the Trilateral club of which Stoamer is a member.
Sorry if this is blindingly obvious , the tricky bit for Shitehawk is getting the balance right , just enough tit bits for a fig leaf of cover for the Unions to remain affiliated but not enough for them to have any influence at all.
Blair got his right but then the Union leaders were hummm how shall I say “sold a pup ” and swallowed it , some RW ones positively lapped it up , to the cost and detriment of their own membership.
This time round maybe they will be much more cynical of this shitehawk.
but to that end they will need proper LW leaders like Paul Holmes
.
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Looks like a car crash for the left
Monumental fuckwittery again
Hope I’m wrong