Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

I was motivated to write this blog by a comment by a person on Facebook who stated that he ‘is appalled that London members of CWU have voted to abandon fund raising to the Labour Party. This will merely weaken the Labour left even further than it already is and give Brown even more of an excuse to distance himself further from the unions.’

The Camden New Journal reports that the CWU will officially poll opinion from members on whether it should continue funding the Labour Party. They plan to launch a  “consultative ballot” of members next week.

Tony Davis, regional CWU rep for north and north-west London, said:

“There will be a consultative ballot – it’s going to be announced next week. I think support for Labour is very, very low -– and I’m a party member,’ and Hampstead CWU rep John Coater said that ‘the Labour Party has instructed Post Com, which monitors our service, not to fine Royal Mail for failure. Normally, if Royal Mail failed to deliver post it would be would be fined. The cuts are Government-backed so I don’t see why we should support them.”

Considering that Union’s such as the CWU give the Labour party millions in financial backing every year, I commend the CWU for taking this action.  Gordon Brown and his cabinet colleagues are actively undermining the role of the public sector, especially in the  context of Post Officer reforms, therefore why shouldn’t the CWU protest?

What has Gordon Brown ever done to assist ‘the left’ in the Labour party on a UK level?  It seems to me that many of the Union leaders will talk the talk, but when it comes to challenging the government, they will remain quiet in their actions. Well done, therefore to the CWU for being bold. Perhaps they should consider switching their allegiance to Plaid Cymru, who has been consistent in opposing Post Office closures, and against privatising the Royal Mail?…It’s just a thought…Or even better, Plaid should set up our own Union of supporters…

The Government should not take the support of Union’s for granted, and neither should the Union’s become complacent. I can assure you, that if the Tories are elected to govern at Westminster, the Union’s will not hold back when the Tories make cuts to the public sector. Why should it be any different when it comes to Labour in London if they are proposing policies that undermine the members of their own political party? Allegiance for allegiance sake does not make for a strong political party, or for open and frank debate- something which desperately needs to happen within the Labour party.

 Union members should decide which party they affiliate to, and should not feel that if they are not members of Labour that they will be worse off in any way, or out of favour with Union leaders.  What is the worth of democracy, if they cannot act on their own democratic will? Yes there is strength in Union, but I believe that the Labour Government in Westminster disregarded that well know slogan, and its meaning, years ago.