Representing the Members

Since Ed Miliband became leader of the Labour party - in September 2010 - the big three public sector trade unions (GMB, Unison and Unite) have poured £10 million of their members' money - into Labour coffers.

To do so lawfully, the trade unions have to conduct a political fund ballot (PFB) - but only once every ten years - a process which very few ordinary union members bother to take part in.

So the turnout is poor, dreadful in fact - in single figures.

If I recall correctly the turnout in the last Unison PFB was only 8% of the total union membership - which means that 92% failed to return their ballot papers.

To anyone interested in trade union democracy that is very worrying.

Because 100% of union members who pay into the union's Political Fund at the time of the ballot - keep doing so once the vote has taken place.

Which means that the vote - or ballot - is completely unrepresentative.

Now the reason for this is that the PFB passes most union members by - they don't really know what it's all about - so they don't bother to vote and once the ballot is over things just continue as they were.

The same is true when most union members sign an application form - to authorise the deduction of union contributions from their pay.

No one explains the details of the 'political levy' - or the fact that a relatively small amount of money is 'top sliced' every week or month from their contributions - then handed over to the Labour party.

Because the truth is that very few union members support the Labour party - and if they really understood what's going on, they'd choose to hang on to their money - or perhaps donate the funds elsewhere.

So the Political Fund is a con - a scam - a 'milch cow' for union leaders to raise money for the political party that they support - but which ordinary union members don't support in anything like the same numbers.

My solution to this problem of 'big money' unduly influencing UK politics - is to cap donations from the trade unions - and everyone else.

The way to do that is to simply say that union members have to 'opt in' to pay a political - as they do in Northern Ireland, for example - perhaps at the time of the Political Fund Ballot.

In which case the authentic voice of union members would be heard - the role of trade unions inside the Labour party would be legitimate - instead of completely disproportionate which is the case now.

More importantly an 'opt in' scheme would be good for our democracy - and the body politic.

Especially if ordinary union members had the choice of making a small donation to another political party - as well as the option of paying no political levy at all.

'Now what's wrong with that?' - I hear you say.

Nothing - absolutely nothing at all.