Kmflett's Blog

With two donations from Crypto bosses totalling £72m the issue of funding of political parties is in the news.

According to Reform the donations from two unaccountable billionaires with no transparent political agenda is just the same as trade union donations to the Labour Party. While Reform sometimes styles itself as the ‘workers party’ to expect its leaders to know anything of labour history is a step too far.

The December 1909 Osborne Judgement in the Lords made union political donations illegal after an Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (now the RMT) Branch Secretary who was a Liberal Party member had brought a case.

The Trade Union Act 1913 reversed that decision and provided for trade union political funds which required regular ballots of members and the ability not to donate. Many of the funds donate to the Labour Party but others focus more widely on campaigns. Where political fund money goes and how it is most effectively used is a live discussion.

In reality the relationship is between union leaders and Labour Party leaders, with union members exercising influence at conferences. When he was Labour leader Ed Miliband aimed to democratise this relationship by encouraging union members to become individual supporters of Labour…

It should be needless to say that these matters are beyond the grasp of Reform. They have consistently opposed improvements to employment rights, while union political funds are used to promote and extend them. Very different worlds.