Silence of the Bams
I came across this previous post from the blog site recently which I thought deserved another airing.
Because Derek Simpson was, of course, joint general secretary of Unite - before Derek left his post with a 'golden goodbye' payment worth a cool £500,000 of the members' money.
So when you hear all these MPs criticising the handing over of large sums of cash to already highly paid executives from the BBC or NHS - it makes you wonder why they had almost nothing to say when the same outrageous behaviour occurred much closer to home - in the Unite trade union.
Silence of the Bams (5 August 2011)
I am still scouring the newspapers for a statement - any statement - from a Labour MP saying a few harsh words about the antics of Unite and its former general secretary - Derek Simpson.
See previous posts dated 20 and 28 July 2011.
Now Labour MPs and the unions have plenty to say about fat cats in the private sector.
So why have they all lost their voices when it comes to £500,000 being spent on a 'golden goodbye' payment - to one of their own leading lights?
Unite of course played a big role in delivering the leadership of the Labour party - to a certain Ed Miliband of course.
Now I kept hoping that Jack Dromey would speak up - as a former deputy general secretary of Unite and champion of low paid union members - whose union contributions have paid for this £500,000.
I thought for a moment that Jack might be off on his holidays somewhere.
But it would appear not - since he was quoted in the Guardian on Tuesday (2 August) - where he was banging on about government cuts.
Maybe we'll hear the full voice of union fury at next month's TUC - which Derek Simpson attended in recent years of course.
But then again maybe they'll all just keep their heads down.
And keep as quiet as little church mice - which is how they've all behaved up until now.
Saying Nothing At All (28 July 2011)
See previous posts dated 20 and 28 July 2011.
Now Labour MPs and the unions have plenty to say about fat cats in the private sector.
So why have they all lost their voices when it comes to £500,000 being spent on a 'golden goodbye' payment - to one of their own leading lights?
Unite of course played a big role in delivering the leadership of the Labour party - to a certain Ed Miliband of course.
Now I kept hoping that Jack Dromey would speak up - as a former deputy general secretary of Unite and champion of low paid union members - whose union contributions have paid for this £500,000.
I thought for a moment that Jack might be off on his holidays somewhere.
But it would appear not - since he was quoted in the Guardian on Tuesday (2 August) - where he was banging on about government cuts.
Maybe we'll hear the full voice of union fury at next month's TUC - which Derek Simpson attended in recent years of course.
But then again maybe they'll all just keep their heads down.
And keep as quiet as little church mice - which is how they've all behaved up until now.
Saying Nothing At All (28 July 2011)
At a time when every penny counts - including every penny spent by the trade unions - no one has had much to say about the £500,000 'golden goodbye' paid to the former Unite boss - Derek Simpson.
Not the Labour party - which receives millions of pounds in financial support from Unite - money that belongs to ordianry union members of course.
Not Jack Dromey - the new Labour MP for Birmingham, Erdington - who was the former deputy general secretary of Unite before heading off to a new career in the House of Commons.
Now the deafening silence from the Labour benches is a complete disgrace - but it would put Labour in the difficult position of standing up for ordinary union members - and criticising the party's largest financial donor.
See previous post date 21 July 2011 - 'Weasel Words'.
So what has happened to all the inspiring Labour slogans of years gone by - Say what we mean, and mean what we say' - for example?
Seems like the Labour approach these days - in the words of Ronan Keating - is to 'say nothing at all.'
Not the Labour party - which receives millions of pounds in financial support from Unite - money that belongs to ordianry union members of course.
Not Jack Dromey - the new Labour MP for Birmingham, Erdington - who was the former deputy general secretary of Unite before heading off to a new career in the House of Commons.
Now the deafening silence from the Labour benches is a complete disgrace - but it would put Labour in the difficult position of standing up for ordinary union members - and criticising the party's largest financial donor.
See previous post date 21 July 2011 - 'Weasel Words'.
So what has happened to all the inspiring Labour slogans of years gone by - Say what we mean, and mean what we say' - for example?
Seems like the Labour approach these days - in the words of Ronan Keating - is to 'say nothing at all.'
