I think someone must have had a quiet word with Keir Starmer to remind him of the fact that many Unions support the Labour Party by donating £millions. Starmer recently renounced Labour’s commitment to nationalise railways, energy and water, and he has sought to distance himself from striking RMT Union Members and members of other Unions who are currently on strike. Sharon Graham, General Secretary of Unite which gives more than £1million a year in affiliation fees to the party, told the People: ‘If I was speaking to Keir right now I would say to him: Which side are you on? Because the reality is, if I closed my eyes, sometimes I wouldn’t know whether it was the Labour party or the Tories who were speaking.’ Mick Lynch, Leader of the RMT, has constantly criticised Keir Starmer, urging him to get off the fence and get on the side of the workers.
Today, though, we hear that Lisa Nandy, Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has joined striking BT workers on the picket line in her constituency of Wigan. It’s understood that Lisa Nandy sought permission from Keir Starmer to join the Communication Workers Union (CWU) on the picket line and Sir Keir gave his blessing, This, if true, is quite a tunaround, as Starmer sacked his Transport Minister, Sam Terry for joining the RMT Union picket line last week. To be fair, Labour have said that Mr Tarry was making up Labour policy on the hoof, in TV interviews while he was supporting the striking Railway Workers, and that was why he was sacked. But, it is a fact that Keir Starmer has banned his front bench from joining picket lines. So, is he softening his attitude toward supporting the Unions, and is this softening a result of some Unions considering their position with regard to financing Labor?
