ONE DAY into the New Year – and Jeremy Corbyn’s critics are already having a go. This time they are using Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, the UK’s largest union, to attack the Labour Leader.
The whole saga will come as little surprise to Tower Hamlets readers, who are used to their elected leaders being pilloried in the media – but McCluskey is well practised at seeing past the media spin. Indeed, he was one of the few labour movement figures prepared to come to Tower Hamlets and publicly support the policies of elected Mayor Lutfur Rahman. McCluskey backed policies such as replacing the Educational Maintenance Allowance which had been axed by the Government as well as several initiatives to see off the divisive English Defence League (EDL). He also endorsed the opening of a Unite-sponsored community centre in St George’s Old Town Hall in Cable Street where, in a joint venture with Mayor Rahman’s Administration, local people have been able to attend ESOL classes as well as gain qualifications in IT and other work-related skills.
McCluskey is now standing for re-election as General Secretary of Unite and yesterday he was quoted in the Daily Mirror talking about the very important question of the Labour Party’s policies. McCluskey’s comment that Corbyn should be given time to prove himself (intended to mean “stop criticising Corbyn and let him put his policies across) was immediately spun as a veiled threat to replace Corbyn if his poll ratings don’t improve sharpish. McCluskey’s comments that Labour needed to put forward a positive message on immigration in order to counter UKIP’s wide range of anti-working class and racist policies were portrayed as critcisim of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party as being soft on immigrants.
Both comments were picked up by other media and recycled under headlines claiming that McCluskey was growing impatient with Corbyn. In a double whammy, McCluskey’s main opponent in the Unite General Secretary election weighed in, claiming that McCluskey was spending too much time on politics. McCluskey responded with a list of key policies on workers rights and a reminder of many victories scored by Unite under his leadership for members in a range of industries. He held back from pointing out that Unite’s members’ working conditions would be vastly improved by the election of a Labour Government and, therefore, how important it is that the Unite General Secretary openly backs that political objective.
McCluskey tried to correct the news headlines by tweeting his replies to the slurs.
McCluskey came to Tower Hamlets to back progressive and anti-racist policies when the Borough’s residents needed support from people like him. We expect that the Borough’s residents will want to return the favour and stand up for McCluskey – and Jeremy Corbyn! – against the media spin!
•For more information about Len McCluskey’s campaign, go to: http://www.unite4len.co.uk/
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