As reported in the December Socialist Appeal the decision was pre-determined at a meeting of the North West Gazette held a fortnight before. The meeting was held in Preston and the NW members, who had a majority at the meeting, were instructed to vote for Faircloth or face expulsion! Faircloth has a record as a right winger and had never attended Gazette meetings before turning up to the selection meeting.

In the nomination process Jerry Hicks obtained more nominations than Faircloth with 60 branch and 55 shop steward nominations to Faircloth's 44 branch and 51 shop steward nominations. Now that Faircloth has withdrawn there is only one left candidate standing against three right wingers. If the Gazette is to retain any credibility as a left organisation it must now give its backing to Jerry Hicks.

What part do you believe Unite can play in the struggle for socialism?

 The argument in favour of socialism are greater now than it has ever been at any other time.

What is your attitude to the Labour Party and how do you see its future direction?

I left the Labour Party in the 1990s. I was overjoyed to see the back of the Tories in 1997, as I was to see the end of Maggie Thatcher. I detested Blair and Blairism. Like many others I was very disappointed that John McDonnell failed to get enough nominations to challenge Gordon Brown as leader. It seems to me that the future of the Labour Party is not likely to move towards the left. Given the most recent opinion polls they are likely end up in opposition to a Tory government. That will be an extremely sad day but they will have brought it upon themselves, the way they have let us down. 

If you asked me 5 or 6 months ago what my attitude was, not many people would have been bothered to find out. Now possibly my attitude is regarded as more important (as I have a serious chance of being General Secretary).

Through this crisis of the capitalist economy the Labour government has all but nationalised the banks. My father used to dream about the day a Labour government would nationalise the banks and i agreed with him. But they haven’t gone far enough. They haven’t looked after working people and have attacked pensioners and single parents.

It seems to me madness that the energy companies that are making millions in profits have not been taken back into public ownership. They haven’t gone far enough. No wonder there is so much of a sense of betrayal. Bringing back Mandelson and Milburn is not a good step. My attitude to the Labour government can be summed up as one of anger, frustration and dismay.

As General Secretary, what are the most important political changes you would campaign for Labour MPs to implement?

The most important changes I would fight for are the repeal of the anti-union laws in total. This links in with the first two questions you asked me (About Unite’s involvement in the political struggle and the struggle for socialism). An active strong trade union movement would bring about decent pensions linked to earning, a retirement age that’s not going up all the time so you never get there, but one that’s coming down; hours worked not increasing but decreasing so we have a decent quality of life to spend with our family and friends; decent wages, above all a minimum wage of £8 an hour – and that probably needs to be higher now with all the bills going up.

The union’s leadership has been criticised as bureaucratic. How would you make it more accountable to the members?

There is a simple solution - the election of union officials. They should be accountable , acceptable to and approachable by the members, not appointed by the General Secretary. Simpson promised election of officials but soon ditched his promise. Kevin Coyne doesn’t believe in elections – even though he is standing in one (as General Secretary against Jerry) right now!

How do you hope to improve members’ living standards in a situation where rapidly rising unemployment cuts into workers’ bargaining power with the employers?

We need:

• The repeal of all anti-union laws and a massive recruitment campaign taking the union into the schools, colleges and work places.
• An education and recruitment programme within the union.
• We need apprenticeships, but unlike current arrangements on a much bigger and broader school. Every school leaver who wants and apprenticeship should be offered one.

What should the Union’s programme to defend workers against unemployment be?

We need:

• A massive increase in publicly owned housing stock so that people can have a safe, secure, cheap roof over their heads.
• A public works programme - building schools, hospitals and houses that could create jobs for 100,000 workers.
• Investment in renewable energy – solar, sea and wind power providing work for up to one million people.

SA: Thanks very much, Jerry, and good luck in your campaign.