All this whelan 'n' dealin' gives Labour a sinkin' feelin'
Looks like the threatened British Airways strike is paying unforseen dividends to the Tories by focusing attention on the degree to which the Labour party is in hock to its Unite paymasters. Even Labour circles are said to be concerned. Now Joe Murphy of the Evening Standard reveals this gem:
One of Gordon Brown's senior officials at No 10 is entirely paid by the Unite trade union, the Standard reveals today. Clare Moody, a national officer for the trade union behind the British Airways cabin crew strike, has been given a desk in the Prime Minister’s political office that deals with policy development and government relations. Although she works in the heart of Downing Street, her salary and pension are ‘100 per cent’ met by the trade union... Asked if the union paid her salary, believed to be about £50,000, she said: ‘This has come a bit out of the blue. I will come back to you.’
Who would have thought that Charlie Whelan would turn out to be David Cameron’s most effective cheerleader? If the BA strike isn’t called off very soon, it might be Charlie’s epitaph that he put Cameron into Downing Street.
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Melanie Phillips is a Daily Mail columnist. She also writes for the Jewish Chronicle and is a panellist on BBC Radio Four's Moral Maze. Her most recent book is 'The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over God, Truth and Power', published by Encounter.
For a complete set of Melanie's articles click here
Melanie Phillips blog archive
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Chris W
March 17th, 2010 5:42pmThe strike must not be called off, it must be broken by the union members realising their error, and going to work as normal. If it is called off, it will just store up trouble for after the election. The pressure must be kept up.
Graeme Thompson
March 17th, 2010 6:17pm"Whelan 'n' dealin'". Love it. M/s Phillips, you are an artist with the English language.
Major Plonquer
March 17th, 2010 11:56pmOops. Typo in the headline. You left out the 't' in 'stinkin'.
Even worse you are misinterpresentationing the position of the Labour Party and Unite. The truth is that this action at BA is designed to show that they've left their socialist roots behind and have moved on.
This New Leftist Thinking is based on the misconceived notion that the Workers should actually have to work. The Modern Proletariat should receive their sustainance from The State but if they are actually expected to work for their living that would mean that the State is simply a like-for-like replacement for the Bourgoise exploitation of capitalism. Consequently workers should not be forced to actually work. The BA cabin staff are only pursuing their basic human right not to have to work.
Of course we've seen this theory in practice throughout Britain in our public services. I believe it may be Balls-inspired.
Robert Mitchum
March 18th, 2010 12:31amI am looking forward to them experiencing rather more than a sinkin' feelin' - something more terminal like a drownin' feelin' with all the rats going down with the ship.
R Gray
March 18th, 2010 6:48amWell I think this is all a cunning plan. Gordon will be allowed to save the world again.
john east
March 18th, 2010 9:05amI most certainly hope that Charlie Whelan wins the election for the Tories because I doubt that Cameron will.
De Rigueur
March 18th, 2010 11:11am"One of Gordon Brown's senior officials at No 10 is entirely paid by the Unite trade union..."
If this is really true then the Tories must really run with it. But then, they should have really run with the Neather affair...
Like the Spectator did.
Ben Wright
March 18th, 2010 3:09pmWe should question the whole system of political donations and do it now!
Individual donations and union donations should be questioned!
The only solution lies in adopting the Hayden Phillips recommendations.
The Jury Team also says trade union donations should be treated as individual member donations.
http://www.juryteam.org/p23-cap-donations.php.
This was also what Sir Hayden recommended in the first place and is the only real solution.
Time for action!
Tancred
March 18th, 2010 3:49pmWhat with the Socialists drumming up strikes and imposing laws to ban ALL drink driving as well as attacking dog ownership anyone would think they don't want to win!
then again with Cameron scoring home goals, missing open goals and signally not addressing the countries major preoccupations of immigration, crime, wars and NHS/Education one could think he didn't want to win either.
Hmmmmm.
Rather like passing around a ticking bomb.
Is it possible that neither main party wants to win - the prize is a massive "shitburger" and the winner will have to eat it.
Time to sell up and leave methinks.