Unions’ Labour levy ‘is illegal’

[theflyingpostman]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 108328.ece

By David Cracknell Political Editor

[quote]LABOUR is facing a fresh funding inquiry amid claims that the way its trade union backers are collecting millions of pounds for the party is in breach of the law.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to study a Tory dossier that claims the unions are “ripping offâ€

[Malatesta1954]

Why are our union's donations to Labore shown under the wrong name and address on the Electoral Commission website?

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
166 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
01/07/07
£ 500.00

Exeter Clp
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
172 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
04/07/07
£ 500.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
154 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
10/07/07
£ 400.00

National Labour Party
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
170 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
26/07/07
£ 5,000.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
163 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

Scottish Labour Party
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
157 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

Scottish Labour Party
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
158 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 2,000.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
169 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
171 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
165 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
160 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
161 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

Croydon North Clp
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
164 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/07/07
£ 500.00

National Labour Party
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
152 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
06/08/07
£ 50,791.67

National Labour Party
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
153 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
28/08/07
£ 50,791.67

National Trade Union Liaison
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
156 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
03/09/07
£ 1,750.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
167 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
09/09/07
£ 250.00

Morcambe and Lunesdale Clp
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
162 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
10/09/07
£ 4,500.00

National Labour Party Section 62 (12) PPERA
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
159 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
22/09/07
£ 2,000.00

Dagenham and Rainham Clp
Communications Workers Union (CWU)
status: Trade Union
168 The Broadway
Wimbledon
London
SW19 1RX
27/09/07
£ 1,500.00

Section total:£ 123,983.34

[dvbuk55]

"In the past six years the unions have provided an average of £9m a year to Labour in donations, including members’ fees. In 2006 they gave £8.5m, which accounted for 73% of the party’s cash donations. "

You'd think they'd be a bit more cooperative under the circumstances wouldn't you. I know if I was spending my money at a shop that failed to provide a service I required I'd shop somewhere else!

[baldrick]

Depends what the service you require is. If you were after a safe Parliamentary constituency.
or a seat in the House of Lords you might be spending your (well our) money in the right place.

[Big Daz]

"In the past six years the unions have provided an average of £9m a year to Labour in donations, including members’ fees. In 2006 they gave £8.5m, which accounted for 73% of the party’s cash donations. "

You'd think they'd be a bit more cooperative under the circumstances wouldn't you. I know if I was spending my money at a shop that failed to provide a service I required I'd shop somewhere else!

Good point

We need to debate and decide if the current benefits of affiliation is good value for money?

There is a duty of care when it comes to spending the money CWU members pay through the political levy.

[BELIAL]

As soon as clause four part iv was dropped the message was loud and clear. Labour never did what it said on the tin anyway ,now it doesn't even say it on the tin.

Supporting New Labour is a wise choice IF you believe the 'realists' cant that we now live in a classless egalitarian meritocracy, a new modern society where inequality, injustice and privilege have all withered on the vine. Unfortunately for new labour this mythical reality is increasingly at odds with most working peoples daily experience. You can't fool all the people all the time

[Tman]

"In the past six years the unions have provided an average of £9m a year to Labour in donations, including members’ fees. In 2006 they gave £8.5m, which accounted for 73% of the party’s cash donations. "

You'd think they'd be a bit more cooperative under the circumstances wouldn't you. I know if I was spending my money at a shop that failed to provide a service I required I'd shop somewhere else!

That rather depends on your level of naivety.
Thinking that paying the Labour Party a levy will ensure that a Labour government will take the CWU's views as paramount over the needs of the country as a whole, is both naive and sinister.
The levy is to finance the running of the Labour Party, and I'll happily give it up when Marks and Spencer, Taylor Woodrow and many more give up (tax avoidance) donations to the Tories.
Funny how the Tory columnists and media plants question the political levy, and all the working-class sheep baaaa along with it.
To paraphrase Hardy, we're still our own worst enemy............

[jafferpants]

As my grandfather told me many years ago. "The one thing they all have in common is when in oposition they will tell you exactly what they will do for you. Once elected they will tell you exactly why they cant do it".

[TrueBlueTerrier]

As my grandfather told me many years ago. "The one thing they all have in common is when in opposition they will tell you exactly what they will do for you. Once elected they will tell you exactly why they cant do it".

A case of they tell you what they think you want to here when they wont you vote and stick their fingers in their ears when in power. Politics in the UK is definitely of the three wise monkeys variety. .

I know Mad Maggie is not well liked but even when she was try to screw you over, like the Miners, at least she had the balls to tell you she was doing it.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

All this talk from the likes of Hayes about us having a voice in the Labour Party because of the levy is crap. The only improvement in our conditions over the last ten years, the forty hour, five day week which everyone else has had for decades, came about because of pressure from the rank and file. It certainly wasn't because Blair decided it might be a good thing.

[Malatesta1954]

Depends what the service you require is. If you were after a safe Parliamentary constituency.
or a seat in the House of Lords you might be spending your (well our) money in the right place.

Derek Hodgson gave a £1m of our money to Nu Labore just before he left then moaned to anyone who would listen when he didn't get a peerage.

[norbet colon]

As my grandfather told me many years ago. "The one thing they all have in common is when in opposition they will tell you exactly what they will do for you. Once elected they will tell you exactly why they cant do it".

A case of they tell you what they think you want to here when they wont you vote and stick their fingers in their ears when in power. Politics in the UK is definitely of the three wise monkeys variety. .

I know Mad Maggie is not well liked but even when she was try to screw you over, like the Miners, at least she had the balls to tell you she was doing it.

at least you knew exactly what you were dealing with and you wouldn't expect anything less , still saw them off , but not the spiv and the Charlatan that Byers deliberately appointed to do his dirty work , not this shifty shower with their reforms , mixed agendas & signals , targets , league tables , legislation etc , like a ship with no rudder ; should follow in the RMT & NFU's footsteps , never mind Billy Bunter complaining about paying all this money for handwringing Never , ever ,ever trust a Liberal ! just a watered down Tory , nailing a Liberal is like nailing a blancmange to a wall.