Unite and GMB walk out of Labour’s National Policy Forum after ‘hostile’ manoeuvres by Starmer and faction against workers’ rights – despite last week telling Unite delegates he would repeal anti-union laws – leaving Graham out on limb after cosying up
GMB and Unite delegates have walked out of the Labour party’s National Policy Forum, after what has been described as Keir Starmer’s ‘hostile’ tactics to attack workers’ rights and prevent party policies being formulated to protect them:
But Skwawkbox can reveal that Keir Starmer promised last week at the Unite union’s policy conference that he would repeal the anti-union laws passed by successive governments to undermine the power of working people to take collective action:
The Labour party chose not to include that promise in its tweet of excerpts of Starmer’s speech – but it did include Starmer promising to strengthen workers’ rights:
Starmer showing contempt for workers and lying through his teeth to make promises he has no intention of keeping is nothing new – it has marked every day of his regime. But Unite walking out today does nothing to excuse Sharon Graham and her acolytes in the union, who in the last couple of weeks were widely slated for inviting Starmer to the conference and giving him the platform to lie to the faces of Unite delegates.
A Starver promise is not worth the fetid air he exhales to speak it, but for union leaders to aid and abet his lies is unforgivable – and a walk-out when he reveals how he was laughing at them all the way through is far too little, far too late.
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Where is the first short video clip from, it would be nice to be able to put it in context?
Here’s the full transcript of Keir’s speech to Unite’s policy conference
https://labour.org.uk/press/keir-starmer-speech-at-unite-policy-conference/
Precisely which of the trade Union laws that Starmer has said that he will repeal has he railed back on.
Are you trying to claim keef hasn’t?
Ok.
Then why have the unions binned the policy forum, genius?
Toffee – Not at all, I’m simply trying to establish whether you (or anyone else) actually knows what they are so ‘outraged’ about. Given your response I’m guessing that your answer is
‘I don’t know why I’ve got my knickers in such a twist.’
SteveH
You were on here confidently predicting he’d abide by conference votes on proportional representation.
Quite frankly, the unions should’ve disaffiliated over his outrageous snubbing of internal party democracy. There’s no point holding policy forums or even a party conference, if votes can be simply ignored on the arrogant whim of the current leader.
And the fact he rejects PR, when its the only meaningful change that could permanently prevent the Tories returning to power on a minority vote share, shows he’s quite happy being a one term PM, then quitting politics to make serious money from patrons served while briefly in office.
But Andy…
Conference is only sovereign when it’s in session. Keef has decreed it so.
Just like he’ll decree who gets to turn up, soon enough.
The Toffee
Unbelievable isn’t it. The fact Starmer won’t countenance PR, shows he’s not serious about transformational change.
The left wouldn’t have supported Corbyn behaving in such an undemocratic high-handed manner like that,.. not that Corbyn ever would. And as for the right in the PLP, they would’ve been apoplectic, screaming blue murder. The likes of Polly Toynbee, Jonathan Freedland of the guardian, would’ve produced columns called it pure democratic effrontery.
Only becoming an MP in 2015, “my party this, my party that.” Who made Starmer president for life?
Starmer’s dourness and lack of charisma, lack of ideas and ideals, is only matched by his stunning arrogance.
Nothing is beyond the realms of believability with smarmer…And he’s far from finished yet.
Herr Flick
Looks .ike Sir Kid Starver has just handed the Lonion Mayorality to JC on a plate
I’m simply trying to establish….
You’re simple, alright. And just who has their knickers in a twist? Ain’t me, gawp. I’m actually undecided whether to have any sympathy with unite & gmb, or to go nelson muntz, ie ..
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/CaringCrispAmericanwarmblood-size_restricted.gif
Have yet another go. And get that wrong, too.
Toffee – Thanks for taking the time to reassure us all that you definitely haven’t got your knickers in a twist.😉
New Labour didn’t tweek, let alone repeal, a single anti-union law. I can think of no reason to believe New New Labour will be differant.
New Labour accepted (agreed with), ie adopted, Conservative legislation on trade unions and industrial action. Two exceptions: ended three yearly renewal of the ‘check off’’ and overruled a court decision that meant unions had to give the names of union members who planned to take industrial action. It introduced more complex procedures for industrial action ballots. The statutory union-recognition was designed to have a marginal impact (that worked!),
Good point Chris. Did anyone on the left believe that he would empower the unions?
Made plenty of laws restricting civil liberties though (RIPA) snidily getting them through via the backdoor while distracting the masses with the fox hunting bill that they took years to pass, despite having the means to steamroller it through
Ffs they even wanted laws to restrict the weight of the crap in your wheelie bins.
Well the Unions got their rewards for backing a future Labour Govt. We told you so….As for SirKidStarver saying this:
.”We will only restore hope in this country if Britain serves working people once again.
That is what Labour is fighting for.”
Where does that leave the elderly, the sick, the homeless, students and disabled ? Fuck them, they can go to hell I suppose?
The current labour party is heavily influenced by the Fabian’s. That’s the “Justify your existence, useless eater” club.
You surmised the opinion of labour on that group better than I could.
It’s a cute move. He says one thing, then leaves it up to the ‘policy wonks’ to do the U-turn.
Starmer stays schtum.
Starmer keeps his hands clean.
Incisive George Peel – you’ve succinctly highlighted the fundamental core of Starmer’s ‘leadership’:
i) Promise whatever a particular audience wants/needs me to say, then
ii) get my SPADS (special advisers) to calibrate every possible interpretation of the ‘Promise’ against the permitted Trilateral Commission, “third way” centrist, Rule-Book, then
iii) assure Rupert Murdoch, the 107th richest man in the world, and cite “things have changed” and adopt ii (not i) as official Labour party policy.
For the Few through conning the Many. No wonder his words and pledges are meaningless.
I am sure you are right George that keeping the distance is Starmer’s intention.
No sure it would work because at the end of the day, Starmer is developing a reputation from interfering and impossing his will on the Party.
Neither you or I, and indeed many others believe a word that comes out of Starmer’s mouth.
Interfering and imposing his will, thats putting it mildly.
Until it happened and saw it with my own eyes at Unite Conference, I didn’t believe that Graham was cosying up to Starmer.
It serves Graham’s right if she believed him in his promises, personally I believe she was looking after her best interest rather than be taken by him.
The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour and neither Starmer no Graham can be trusted. We need to resist Graham’s faction within Unite. She is removing/sidelining possible opponents so than in 3 years time, nobody can mount an effective challenge from the left.
Maybe Graham doesn’t need to ‘believe’ Starmer to support him, Maria. They each serve the same Masters. the third-way neoliberal capitalists and their billionaire oligarchy?
For the Few, not the Many.
Who would have Adam & Eve’d it; Der Starmer breaking another promise……..catching the Boris virus?
Keir Starmer is totally reliable – if he makes a pledge or promise you can rely on the fact that he won’t stick to it.
Oh he’s reliable alright, if you’re part of the establishment. As the destroyed records at the CPS would no doubt reveal. Hence why they were destroyed, as if in some tinpot dictatorship.
Dog ate my homework .
And it only took him a week this time.
The way the slimy shite’s going, by the time of his next interview he’ll be contradicting himself with every follow-up question.
What Sharon Graham did was give Starmer a platform to make promises he won’t keep, and the video following it espouses change he doesn’t intend to keep, but he hopes will dupe people into voting for him.
His love in with Tony Blair showed his direction of travel, Blair spelled out exactly where New Labour are going.
Starmer is the poison sugar coated to make it Palatable.
rotzeichen – What Sharon Graham did was provide a platform to the leader of the political party that Unite’s elected delegates had just voted to remain affiliated to.
Through Starmer’s duplicity we seem to have returned to unhappy final days of New Labour.
There was absolutely no desire to repeat the New Labour experience; not from LP members who thought Starmer would implement his 10 Pledges, nor from ordinary Labour voters. His entire leadership is built on lies. And the unions seem happy to go along with it, knowing full well so many feel so bitterly betrayed and disenfranchised by this hideous imposter.
As for anti-union legislation, unless it’s written down in the manifesto and every Labour MP stands on it, Starmer can’t be trusted. A manifesto commitment is different, insomuch as it’s like a personal promise from every Labour MP to their constituents and the country. If the leadership are arguing over wording, seeking vagueness over clarity, its a flashing warning they intend to ditch it in power.
When I’m Cleaning Windows
“When I’m Cleaning Windows” is a comedy song performed by Lancastrian comic, actor and ukulele player George Formby. It first appeared in the 1936 film Keep Your Seats, Please. The song was credited as written by Formby, Harry Gifford and Fred E. Cliffe. Formby performed the song in A♭ in Keep Your Seats, Please. For the single release, the key was changed to B♭. The song was so successful that George Formby recorded another version of the song entitled “The Window Cleaner”. This song uses similar orchestration to the original version and it is about further things which were seen on a window cleaning round. Because the song’s lyrics were racy for the time, it was banned by the BBC from being played on the radio.Wikipedia