Longstanding former MEP Richard Balfe has now had over twenty meetings with union officials since being appointed as a Conservative envoy to the union movement. He says many of them have had to be in secret however:
"I have had a fair number of meetings with a number of people who want to meet privately. I can understand that. They are coming to terms with the fact there will be a Conservative government after the next general election. They do not believe their members would understand what they are doing."
As Balfe wrote in an article for ConservativeHome at the time of his appointment, at least a third of union members are actually Conservative voters.
I am not sure about the need for secrecy in the present political climate. If anything, I would imagine that most members apart from the die hard Labour core would expect their representatives to be laying the groundwork and building relations with a possible Conservative government.
In fact, the guardian article today about the Labour party's financial position mentions that a couple of Unions are seeking to put forward a motion to disaffiliate themselves with the Labour party at their conferences, this would of course mean they no longer donated money to the party.
Posted by: ChrisD | May 29, 2008 at 19:30
Out of interest, has a union ever been affiliated to us?
Posted by: Alex Fisher | May 29, 2008 at 19:49
Great news.
It would be useful for both parties if we could move beyond the disagreements of the past.
Posted by: Alexander King | May 29, 2008 at 20:26
*Out of interest, has a union ever been affiliated to us?*
Not to my knowledge but a lot have been unaffiliated to any party.
Posted by: Diablo | May 30, 2008 at 00:08
I dont see why the conservative party is cowtowing to the unions . Margaret thatcher was right to weaken there power in the 80s ,and the unions are back in selfish form be it Jack Crow's trotskyist transport unions , or the NUT (National Union of Teachers)or as i prefer to call them nutter.
Of course in a democratic societ you need unions , but this doesn't mean that the conservatives have to bend there back to negotiate them . No one wants the 1970s corporatism between big business and unions as shown by the Labour Government recently when it backed down to union pressure and a CBI compromise in relation to temporary workers -which has it's biggest effect on small business.
Posted by: stephen hoffman | May 30, 2008 at 08:29
also cameron in a recent awards ceremony praised thatcher. Now in the guardian article he seems to be criticising her approach to the Unions . Richard Balfe is an ex labour MEP - i cant see how he represents the Unions. If Margaret Thatcher hadn't taken on the Unions this country would still be run by the unions and not democratically elected politicians . A bit of thanks by the Conservative party and in particular Cameron for this wouldn't go amiss .
Posted by: stephen hoffman | May 30, 2008 at 08:32
* sorry i meant to say , i cant see how he represents the conservative party
Posted by: stephen hoffman | May 30, 2008 at 08:33
Let us not get too worked up about this, we don't even konw what Richard Balfe has been discussing with the Trade Unions.
It looks like the Conservative Party is going to win the election, based on that it makes sense to speak with business and the Trade Unions. This does not mean that we are going to give into all their demands.
At the moment the Unions relationship with Labour is pretty rocky, if we can show that we are a decent bunch of people who are willing to listen then it will make us look good in their eyes. If however we rant and rave it may drive the Unions (and their money) back into the arms of Labour.
Posted by: Richard | May 30, 2008 at 08:59
The Conservatives should smash the Unions properly, especially snivel service ones.
I was nealry expelled as a premium apprentice from Rootes in the late 1950's because I objected to being forced to join the AEUW.
I spentthe winter of Discontent fighting fires and standing by to empty dustbins and bury the dead and make contingencies against striking tanker driver sine 1979.
In 1968 I had to lead an Army convoy into strike bound Liverpool docks, and the Brothers had sabotaged things like crane hooks so "accidents" were expected to happen agianst my lorries. We were too sharp for that.
I then see ****s like Prescott and Alan Johnson put there by the unions. Smash them (after we get to power and after leaving Yerp)
Posted by: John Prendergast | June 09, 2008 at 12:31
we dont need union money-especially with all the strings attached to it.
Posted by: stephen hoffman | June 10, 2008 at 17:53