Democracy and Bananas
I heard a delegate to the Labour party conference on TV the other day - trying manfully to explain that there wasn't really a trade union 'block vote' any more.
The chap insisted that every trade union delegates had an individual vote - and that the bad old days had gone - because union bosses no longer cast one single 'block vote' on behalf of the whole delegation.
Which is true - but misses the essential point.
Which is that before any votes are cast - the union delegation as a whole decides what or whom to support - and all delegates are expected to abide by that collective decision.
So - in reality - it amounts to the same thing in the end - since 100% of the union votes always end up being cast the same way.
Not a big deal when it involves some obscure motion that no one cares about - but it is a big deal when it comes to elections and issue of principle like rule changes.
Here's what I wrote last month before the 2011 Labour conference got underway - as things turned out Ed Miliband's reform package was vetoed by Britain's union bosses (the Bubs).
For the same reason - that turkeys don't vote for Christmas
Democracy and Bananas (8 August 2011)
John Prescott is backing Ed Miliband in his drive to bring more democracy to the Labour party - so say the Sunday papers.
Apparently the new Labour leader - Ed Miliband - wants to reduce the trade unions' voting power at the annual party conference - where the unions still control 50% of the vote.
So it's time for change - according to Ed and Prezza - because a handful of union bosses wielding so much power makes Labour look ridiculous in the eys of the nation.
So far so good - though you do have to ask why the noble Lord P failed to raise these issues while he was Deputy Leader of the Labour party - for more than 10 years.
Lord Prescott was quoted as saying that ordinary party members felt the current arrangements "loaded" against them - and in favour of the unions.
He told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show:
"There is a feeling in the constituencies that perhaps the power of the trade unions has been loaded a bit against the constituencies. When I stood for treasurer, I got 63% of the actual votes of the constituencies and hardly anything from the unions because three or four general secretaries decided I wasn't going to be the one and therefore didn't ballot their members, so it's time for change."
Prezza went on to compare Mr Miliband's proposed changes to the "one member one vote" system which former leader John Smith forced through in 1993 to remove the power of the union block vote.
But this is where Lord Prescott's analysis breaks down - because there's not really 'one member one vote' at Labour party conference.
Why?
Because while trade union delegates cast an individual vote - trade union delegations in my experience always decide how to vote collectively - at a delegation meeting.
And individual delegates are expected to follow the 'agreed' line - or else they won't remain as union delegates for very long.
In other words the trade union 'block vote' is alive and well - it's just camouflaged to look like 'one delegate one vote' - but in reality nothing has changed.
And if that's democracy - then I'm a banana.
The chap insisted that every trade union delegates had an individual vote - and that the bad old days had gone - because union bosses no longer cast one single 'block vote' on behalf of the whole delegation.
Which is true - but misses the essential point.
Which is that before any votes are cast - the union delegation as a whole decides what or whom to support - and all delegates are expected to abide by that collective decision.
So - in reality - it amounts to the same thing in the end - since 100% of the union votes always end up being cast the same way.
Not a big deal when it involves some obscure motion that no one cares about - but it is a big deal when it comes to elections and issue of principle like rule changes.
Here's what I wrote last month before the 2011 Labour conference got underway - as things turned out Ed Miliband's reform package was vetoed by Britain's union bosses (the Bubs).
For the same reason - that turkeys don't vote for Christmas
Democracy and Bananas (8 August 2011)
John Prescott is backing Ed Miliband in his drive to bring more democracy to the Labour party - so say the Sunday papers.
Apparently the new Labour leader - Ed Miliband - wants to reduce the trade unions' voting power at the annual party conference - where the unions still control 50% of the vote.
So it's time for change - according to Ed and Prezza - because a handful of union bosses wielding so much power makes Labour look ridiculous in the eys of the nation.
So far so good - though you do have to ask why the noble Lord P failed to raise these issues while he was Deputy Leader of the Labour party - for more than 10 years.
Lord Prescott was quoted as saying that ordinary party members felt the current arrangements "loaded" against them - and in favour of the unions.
He told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show:
"There is a feeling in the constituencies that perhaps the power of the trade unions has been loaded a bit against the constituencies. When I stood for treasurer, I got 63% of the actual votes of the constituencies and hardly anything from the unions because three or four general secretaries decided I wasn't going to be the one and therefore didn't ballot their members, so it's time for change."
Prezza went on to compare Mr Miliband's proposed changes to the "one member one vote" system which former leader John Smith forced through in 1993 to remove the power of the union block vote.
But this is where Lord Prescott's analysis breaks down - because there's not really 'one member one vote' at Labour party conference.
Why?
Because while trade union delegates cast an individual vote - trade union delegations in my experience always decide how to vote collectively - at a delegation meeting.
And individual delegates are expected to follow the 'agreed' line - or else they won't remain as union delegates for very long.
In other words the trade union 'block vote' is alive and well - it's just camouflaged to look like 'one delegate one vote' - but in reality nothing has changed.
And if that's democracy - then I'm a banana.
