Keir Starmer is accused of allowing ‘militant unions’ to shape his policies amid wave of strikes
- Twelve union bosses sit on the party’s ruling National Executive Committee
- Tories accuse Sir Keir of ‘taking orders from his trade unionist bosses’
- Read more: Sturgeon claims Starmer will ‘bite her hand off’ for Labour-SNP deal
Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of giving ‘militant union barons’ priority over workers as analysis showed that they make up a quarter of Labour’s governing body.
A dozen union bosses sit on the party’s ruling National Executive Committee, including the general secretary of the train drivers’ union Aslef, Mick Whelan.
The unions make up a quarter of the NEC, which regularly meets Sir Keir and provides ‘strategic direction’ to the party and oversees the policy-making process.
Many other NEC members receive donations from union coffers.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer addressing delegates at the London Labour Party Conference at Leonardo Royal Hotel on January 28
Last night the Tories claimed Labour’s governing body was ‘dominated by union barons’ and accused Sir Keir of ‘taking orders from his trade unionist bosses’.
Mr Whelan is leading a walkout of train drivers today and on Friday in a bitter pay dispute.
The drivers were offered a pay rise of 8 per cent over two years, but Aslef rejected the offer, saying it would be a ‘real-terms pay cut’ which had too many conditions attached.
A Whitehall source last night said: ‘Mick Whelan’s Aslef have chosen to continue damaging strike action despite being given a fair pay offer that the Government helped facilitate.
‘This would have taken the average wage of his members to £65,000. Whelan’s position at the heart of the Labour Party shows that Starmer’s team prioritise militant union barons over hard-working passengers.’
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of the train drivers’ union Aslef, is leading a walkout of train drivers today and on Friday in a bitter pay dispute
Sir Keir and his shadow ministers on the NEC have received tens of thousands of pounds from unions. Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has been given more than £100,000 over the last three years.
Conservative vice-chairman Paul Holmes claimed last night: ‘It’s clear who’s pulling Labour’s strings.
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‘With their executive committee dominated by union barons and their MPs pocketing millions in union donations, it is no surprise that all Labour stands for is being the party of protest.
‘It’s about time Keir Starmer grows a backbone and stops taking orders from his trade unionist bosses.’
But Labour hit back, with a spokesman saying: ‘Unlike the Government, Labour’s focus is firmly on the public and preventing these strikes. The Tories are in charge, and they failed to find a solution to the industrial action disrupting everyday lives. It’s Rishi Sunak’s weak leadership that has caused this chaos.’
Two officials from the Unite union, which represents striking ambulance staff, are NEC members along with representatives of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, Unison, the Communication Workers Union, Fire Brigades Union and GMB.
The TSSA is in the process of re-balloting members across 13 train companies for further industrial action. Unison yesterday announced that thousands of ambulance workers across five services in England will strike on February 10.
CWU members in Royal Mail staged 18 days of strikes during the second half of last year, firefighters in the FBU voted for industrial action earlier this week, and GMB members at eight NHS ambulance trusts will walk out next week.
The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers and the Musicians’ Union also have representatives on the NEC.
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