Chum Clubs and Moribund Branches
In an effort to breathe new life into Labour - Ed Miliband - has directed one of his loyal lieutenants to come up with an honest assessment - about the state of the party.
Peter Hain has been charged with the task - and his views make uncomfortable reading for anyone interested in democracy - because he warns that 'many local parties are moribund'.
In some areas of the country - Hain observes - the party 'barely functions'.
Before adding that the number of affiliated union members has fallen significantly - while party structures have hardly changed since the First World War.
Now this strikes me as straight talking - facing up to reality.
The solution - according to Hain - is to open things up and find ways of making Labour more attractive and relevant to people's everyday lives.
And what's true for the Labour party is even more true for the trade unions - which in many areas have become 'chum clubs'.
The truth is that in many local trade union branches the same faces - sharing the same politics - have been running the show for years and years.
Which is a real problem - in the old days they would have been called 'rotten boroughs'.
Because the trade unions like to portray themselves as representative organisations - that accurately reflect the views of a wider membership - yet in reality it's often just a handful of people making vital decisions.
The problem manifests itself in trade union ballots - where tiny numbers take part in official elections - and the majority of members often vote with their feet - by not voting at all in strike ballots.
Now it's not easy to get more people involved - as I know from personal experience - but at least the Labour party is trying to face up to the challenge.
Whereas the trade unions still have their heads - firmly stuck in the sand.
Peter Hain has been charged with the task - and his views make uncomfortable reading for anyone interested in democracy - because he warns that 'many local parties are moribund'.
In some areas of the country - Hain observes - the party 'barely functions'.
Before adding that the number of affiliated union members has fallen significantly - while party structures have hardly changed since the First World War.
Now this strikes me as straight talking - facing up to reality.
The solution - according to Hain - is to open things up and find ways of making Labour more attractive and relevant to people's everyday lives.
And what's true for the Labour party is even more true for the trade unions - which in many areas have become 'chum clubs'.
The truth is that in many local trade union branches the same faces - sharing the same politics - have been running the show for years and years.
Which is a real problem - in the old days they would have been called 'rotten boroughs'.
Because the trade unions like to portray themselves as representative organisations - that accurately reflect the views of a wider membership - yet in reality it's often just a handful of people making vital decisions.
The problem manifests itself in trade union ballots - where tiny numbers take part in official elections - and the majority of members often vote with their feet - by not voting at all in strike ballots.
Now it's not easy to get more people involved - as I know from personal experience - but at least the Labour party is trying to face up to the challenge.
Whereas the trade unions still have their heads - firmly stuck in the sand.
