On the first day of this year’s Unison annual conference in Brighton, Dave Prentis, general secretary of the public sector union, stirred angry delegates to their feet with his keynote speech. After decrying the MPs and their expenses scandal he went on to outline the horrors of life for ordinary people trying to get through the current economic crisis and in the face of the ‘lunacy’ of the government’s policies. He said that those MPs who claimed to have broken no rules had indeed broken rules: the rules of decency. He ridiculed the aborted Blairite rebellion and those who thought that the problems of the Labour government could be solved by bringing in someone who ‘had a better smile on facebook,’

Prentis went on, however, after attacking the ongoing government policy of privatisation, to take the conference by surprise by calling on the Unison Labour Link (which is responsible for the handling of the union’s political levy cash) to suspend all constituency development payments to local Labour parties.

Back in 2003, Prentis made a speech where he defended the Labour Link, arguing that New Labour was the “cuckoo in the nest” in the Labour Party. He rejected calls for a new workers party saying “we already have one – we need to take it back!” Socialist Appeal supported that call but we were to see little sign of it being implemented by the Unison leadership. Six years on, it seems that Dave Prentis may now be acting on that rhetoric. But rhetoric which brings about standing ovations in conferences is of little help if that is all it is. In practice the proposals on funding will have little effect by its self since the union affiliation fees will  still be paid and the development cash for this year has already gone out, meaning the next amount will be due after the next election. We should also remember that we have had fighting talk from union leaders before who have then gone on to shore up the Labour leadership, including the pushing through of Brown as unelected leader.

Unison activists must now use the Labour Link and put in place a programme to take back the Labour Party for the working class on the basis of socialist policies. John McDonnell has already responded to Prentis’ speech by calling for Unison to work with him and the campaign group in supporting Left Labour MPs. That call should not be left on the table.  Eyes will now be on the National Labour Link Forum meeting in Manchester in July and the elections for the National Labour Link Forum over the summer. The task is to ensure that the forum begins the task of defending and promoting unison’s aims inside the party rather than being a prop for Brown and the rest of the New Labour clique. Unison can lead the way with other unions and genuine party activists in throwing out the disgusting New Labour careerists onto the street and ensure that the damage they have done is repaired as soon as possible. This should go hand in hand with ensuring that Unison responses to the coming massive attack on public services with a programme of clear militancy.