Unite won’t stand for ‘attempts to influence’ general secretary election outcome

Back in the days when MPS were selected by a tiny privileged elite, the early trade unions and friendly societies – created by ordinary working people – were a beacon of democratic thought.

Democracy is at the heart of Unite the union. We’re proud of that, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our union stronger. When members are in control, bosses feel it. Democracy and accountability gives our offic- ers and workplace representatives strength when it comes to negotiations over jobs, pay and conditions.

At the moment, our union democracy is in action. We are in the middle of a campaign to elect our general secretary and executive council. Individual members and branches can hear from candidates and make their own decisions about who is best-placed to meet the needs and aspirations of workers.

Recently, our acting general secretary Gail Cartmail was forced to issue a statement condemning inaccurate allegations made against Unite by UK Labour deputy leader Tom Watson. Tom has joined a list others who have tried to influence our internal democracy in an unprecedented way over the last few weeks.

In The Scotsman (22 March), columnist Ayesha Hazarika became the latest Labour figure to get involved. Her article repeated the inaccurate allegations, and was a disgraceful attempt to influence our members against one particular candidate for general secretary.

Ayesha was once a spin doctor for Patricia Hewitt and later became a senior adviser to both Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband. So she knows how to craft a media strategy. But in whose interests is she operating now? Why is someone with such high-level connections in Labour using her media connections to try to influence the democratic choice of Unite members?

Unite is not a subsidiary of any political organisation. We are a democratic organisation built by workers for workers. And those men and women are well able to make their own decisions about the way forward for their union, using the democratic structures that they have created and approved.

Our members are today’s guardians of democracy, and they will continue to work to improve their own working lives and to work towards a better society, with an economy that meets the needs of all of us – not just a tiny, privileged few.

The spin doctors and political hangers-on should simply get out of their way.

PAT RAFFERTY Scottish secretary, Unite the union

West Regent Street, Glasgow