United union has a slight misunderstanding with the tax authorities

Give it time, MOnica early days.

M0nica perhaps the difference is that some Conservative supporters are willing to defend the indefensible....

I really don't like the modern trend for smearing. As far as I'm concerned it's playground politics.

I've actually been critical of Unite on GN in the past for various reasons and my personal opinion is that McCluskey is a bully and there have been some incidents which I could use to back that up.

I'm not even a Labour supporter, but I do follow news and current affairs closely. From what I've seen, the current Labour Party is trying to distance itself from Unite's leaders and is criticised by some for doing so. That's why it matters that this is historic.

I actually think trying to link Unite and Labour is a tad childish.

and to think I said nice things about you growstuff!

Labour MPs, including Starmer, called for an enquiry about the Birmingham scheme last April, followed in December by an enquiry launched in December by the current general secretary.

I don't think it's any secret that there have been tensions within Unite for ages.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/20/unite-launches-inquiry-into-building-costs-of-birmingham-project

M0nica

and to think I said nice things about you growstuff!

I don't adjust my comments to fish for compliments.

Respect!

Brings back the days of McClusky having a desk in Labour H.Q.
his ex girl friend Jenny Formby general Secretary

unusual to have so few comments on a thread relating to anything political

I really don't like the modern trend for smearing

Does that apply to all politicians, political parties, unions and public figures or just the ones that we personally support?

Doesn’t apply to the far left of the Labour Party

I really don't know what anyone is expecting to be said? These allegations have been reported for years. It strikes me as a rather silly thread, trying to stir things up. Just for the purpose of clarity; I loathe the current Tory administration and consider many of the members to be corrupt and would go as far as saying to have committed treason, but this does not mean that I turn a blind eye to the allegations about McCluskey and Unite. It is not new, it is appalling, it has little to do with the current Labour party. McCluskey is a grifter, a nasty bit of work, they exist in all sides of politics and I loathe people like him irrespective of their politics. As I said, other than trying to throw in a couple of dead cats, I really don't see what point is being made. Discovering a case against McCluskey and Unite does not cancel out what is being done by this Tory administration.

Who said anything about cancelling out the corruption in the
Tory Party ?

I did Annie

Why ? It has nothing to do with this government’s sleaze

I agree. But sadly, many have decided that this is somehow an opportunity to lay the blame with anyone who is critical of the current Johnson administration

. I mean so many of you seem to know without doubt that the Left, Unions, the Labour Party et al are sea green incorruptibles that I felt you would want to leap to the defence and rehearse all the argumentsthat show that this is a vicious slur carefully developed and designed in Downing Street to show that the Labour Party et al are no better than they are.

I am critical of the tory government and admit I have personal
reasons for not thinking unions are always on the side of the people

The point is, Annie, that the Labour Party and associated organisations promote themselves as sea green incorruptables, whose members, interns. associates etc are far to far above the common fray to ever indulge in financial chicanery or anything else so demeanng.

This case involving Unite, and the other one reported to day about a Parliamentry assistant to a Labour MP, Mary Glindon being paid by a Kurdish construction company to promote Kurdish interests in Parliament. It is suggested that the company is linked to a regime accused of human right abuses, rather suggest that when push comes to shove there is not much to choose between them.

This Parliamentray aid is also secretary to the Kurdish APPG. He and his MP are alleged to have received about £400,000 over six years. All hunkydory and within the rules, just like Sunak's wife being a non-dom. But there are many things that are strictly legal, that people in sensitive jobs should avoid like the plague and between Mary Glindon and Sunak's wife there is not a lot to choose

MOnica the unions have funded the Labour Party for many
years and no different to people of wealth who give to the tory
party want something in return .

I hadn’t hear about the parliamentary assistant , thank you

Anniebach

I am critical of the tory government and admit I have personal
reasons for not thinking unions are always on the side of the people

I agree about some unions. Some, especially Unite and the ghastly McCluskey are dinosaurs, stuck in some kind of 1960s timewarp and have little or no relevance to people, especially young people, today. This is a great shame, because never has there been more need for unions protecting people's rights. McCluskey and his generation always talk about 'workers' and 'wages' as if everyone is cycling into the local cement works and being paid in cash at the end of the week. This has no relevance to people who are employees or staff and earn a salary. It is only words, but it says a lot about where these unions are, and none of my children, who are politically astute, and aware of societal conditions are the least bit interested in unions and do not recognise themselves in the archaic language used.

M0nica No one on here defending Unite. Disappointed? I trust you noted that most of the GNers on this thread were already aware of the case involving Unite.

Anniebach

MOnica the unions have funded the Labour Party for many
years and no different to people of wealth who give to the tory
party want something in return .

I hadn’t hear about the parliamentary assistant , thank you

You say that as if there is something wrong with the unions wanting something in return from the LP.

Like a better deal for working people and a more equitable share in the wealth that they create with their labour? How selfish of them...

MOnica in your post of 15.09 today, did you mean that you assumed that Labour supporters would be leaping to the defence of the Unite union, even when they are behaving badly, and that if they are not, that proves some sort of point?
I don't really understand.

I wasn't sure. I think I really was interested to know whether they would attack people in and around their pary when they misbehaved in the same way they attack the Consevatives.

To be honest I thought it highly improbable.

A former SNP MP is on trial for embezzlement and I'm not going to support or defend her. It was partly my blooming money.