Election reports:
More than 100 policies demanded by the party’s backers are included in Corbyn’s leaked manifesto
LABOUR’S draft manifesto includes more than 100 policies demanded by trade unions that are bankrolling its election campaign, The Sunday Tele
graph can reveal.
A secret list of policies requested by unions obtained by this newspaper reveals huge areas of overlap with the party’s plan for government.
Whole chunks of Labour’s leaked manifesto appear to have been almost copied and pasted from proposals put forward by unions.
Labour promises to nationalise Royal Mail and prisons, protect Sunday trade laws, allow councils to open schools and extend freedom of information laws were all requested by the unions. More directly beneficial policies – including allowing unions to represent apprentices and making it easier to strike by bringing in online balloting – were also adopted.
The revelations raise questions about the way Labour’s big financial backers, including Unite, GMB, Unison and Aslef, secure policy changes. Senior Labour sources have also raised
‘Usually they would talk and not get far but with a different leader promises were dumped in wholesale’
concerns about how easily unions were able to secure manifesto promises under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
“Usually the unions would negotiate with the leadership over manifesto policies for many months and years and not get very far, frankly,” said a Labour source. “But obviously with a different leader and a different Labour Party they were just dumped in wholesale.”
This newspaper has been passed a document being circulated among unions that details 180 policy demands they made for Labour’s manifesto.
Cross-referencing it with Labour’s draft manifesto leaked to The Daily Tel
egraph this week reveals that around 130 demands were met in some form.
Requests made by numerous unions such as scrapping the bedroom tax, building council homes and expanding High Speed Two are in the manifesto.
So, too, are policies that overlap with existing Labour positions, such as nationalising the railways and investing in the NHS. More interestingly, policies that directly benefit unions have been adopted after lobbying, including a request to allow them to represent apprenticeship bodies.
Promises to consider allowing online balloting for strike action – making it easier to gain approval for industrial action – and overturn new Tory rules on unions also feature.
The similarity between the wording of union demands and the policies that Labour is putting forward to the country is stark at times. The Communication Workers Union, which represents postal workers, proposed “a Post Bank owned by the Post Office and providing a full range of banking services”.
Labour’s draft offers “a Post Bank owned by the Post Office and providing a full range of banking services”.
GMB, one of the country’s biggest unions, suggested that Labour should “ensure that all workers enjoy current time-related employment rights from day one”. The party promises to “give all workers equal rights from day one, whether part-time or full-time”.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents the railway industry, suggested Labour “invest in the promotion of rail freight because of the significant gains that can be made in reducing CO2 emissions”. The manifesto says “our rail freight programme on a publicly owned railway will leave our roads freer and our air cleaner”.
Other requests to extend the Freedom of Information Act to some private companies and to launch inquiries in
the Battle of Orgreave and blacklisting are also included. Those concerned about the repeated overlaps inside the party expressed astonishment at how easily union demands have been included in the party’s pitch for government with barely a word altered.
Labour’s scramble to pull together a manifesto in a matter of weeks for the snap election is being cited as an explanation. Labour manifesto policies usually go through a complex process where they are worked up through policy forums over years rather than days. But Mr Corbyn’s closeness to the unions, both in personnel– many of his staff once worked for them – and policy is pointed to by Labour moderates.
A Labour rule change last year strengthened the right of trade union bosses to attend manifesto meetings,
‘Those concerned expressed astonishment at how easily demands were included in the pitch for government’
according to insiders. Union sources have also boasted of having a direct line to Andrew Fisher, the Corbyn policy adviser drafting the manifesto.
Sources defended the process by saying that unions have always played an active role in manifesto formulation.
Labour said: “Voters will be able to judge our policies for themselves when the manifesto is published next week, but it’s no secret we consult widely, including with trade unions. Unlike Theresa’s Tories, we will never inflict nasty measures on working people.”