United union has a slight misunderstanding with the tax authorities

and to think I said nice things about you growstuff!

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.

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

Give it time, MOnica early days.

I think most of us are a bit baffled as to what links you’re making to be honest Monica. This isn’t a political scandal, it’s a scandal within a Trade Union. Labour have been asking for an inquiry for months.

Almost every political scandal involves someone or organisation having done something in the past. McLuskie was a close ally of previous Labour leaders and contributed large sums of money to the party.

The point of this thread is to highlight the way every possible peccadillo commited by someone belonging to, or connected to the Conservative party is immediately becomes a thread on GN and all the political heavyweights get in and use, sometimes quite unpleasant language, yet no one ever seems to abuse any one on the left if they are caught with their hand in the till, or up someone's skirt.

This thread is noticeable for the absence of all the Conservative knocking heavy weights, either to scared to come out in defence when their party is is involved with something like this, or they only fight when they know they can win, a bit like the Russians.

growstuff ,you are the honourable exception.

PECS

Sorry to disappoint but even as a staunch union supporter I wouldn't defend fraud or money laundering.. whoever is involved. Wrong is wrong...

I don't defend them either. Of course wrong is wrong. I could go even further in criticising Unite and I think McCluskey and his allies did a lot of harm to people he was supposed to represent.

What I'm questioning is an association with the current Labour Party.

M0nica

Does that make a difference?

Yes

Sorry to disappoint but even as a staunch union supporter I wouldn't defend fraud or money laundering.. whoever is involved. Wrong is wrong...

Does that make a difference?

M0nica

growstuff in recent times the Labour party and Unite have not been on good terms, but this inquiry is historic, the events concerned run over quite a long period of time and I seem to rememebr some arrests of people, not in Unite, but connected with this project several years ago and the project started and started to go wrong even earlier.

So you're talking about the Labour Party in the past?

growstuff in recent times the Labour party and Unite have not been on good terms, but this inquiry is historic, the events concerned run over quite a long period of time and I seem to rememebr some arrests of people, not in Unite, but connected with this project several years ago and the project started and started to go wrong even earlier.

M0nica

Well, everyone has been laying in so hard on Conservative pecadilloes, I just though that in fairness to all, we ought to discuss this issue.

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.

Stands to reason.

I thought Unite has stopped supporting the Labour Party. I don't think there's much love lost between them.

There have long been rumours of this, I probably read it in Private Eye, a publication with no political axe to grind. Unlike the Tory faithful I am disgusted by corruption irrespective of the party involved, to me it is a moral or legal issue, not party political and if the Unite Union are guilty of what is alleged I hope that the law takes its course.

Made me think of ‘Parrot Face’ ...
(Freddie Davies)

Yes, fair do’s all round. ?

Well, everyone has been laying in so hard on Conservative pecadilloes, I just though that in fairness to all, we ought to discuss this issue.

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.

Stands to reason.

PECS

Do you need a bigger wooden spoon M0nica?

???

Do you need a bigger wooden spoon M0nica?

Should have said 'almost' all.

The text for OP was all from the BBC report on the unfortunate misunderstanding.

Thank you Urmston for givingthe back story so succinctly. Romours about dastardly doings in Unite over this item and other have been floating around for a longtime, but obviously nobody believed them because whoever heard of or could believe that anyone who wasn't a fully paid up member of the Conservative party or a lackey of that party could ever engage in any financial shenanigans. It must be a put up job and I will keep an open mind and not immediately lay in to these people until it has been proven beyond all un reasonable doubt that it is true.

Blimey, they’re all at it (allegedly).

An investigation is underway. Let's wait for the results before we conduct a witch hunt.

Oh dear oh dear! Sounds like the union folk have taken lessons from the cabinet and their friends! They all seem to be on the bloody make. Disappointing all round!

“Police have raided the Unite headquarters as part of an investigation into bribery, fraud and money laundering, which is believed to be connected to the construction of a £98 million hotel complex.

About 20 police officers in unmarked cars arrived at the building in Holborn, central London on Wednesday and left with “files, documents and a computer”.

The Telegraph understands that the raid is linked to the union spending members’ money on the construction of a hotel and conference centre in Birmingham.

Sharon Graham, the new general secretary, announced last December that she had ordered a QC-led inquiry after it emerged that the building’s value was considerably lower than its construction costs.

She was elected after Len McCluskey, who led the trade union for 11 years, retired.

Unite came under scrutiny last year over its decision to award the contracts to the Flanagan Group, run by Mr McCluskey’s long-time friend Paul Flanagan, as well as a health and safety contract awarded to SSC, a company owned by David Anderson, the son of Joe Anderson, the former mayor of Liverpool.”

I do recall Joe Anderson stepping down as Mayor of Liverpool.
It was headline news at the time.