This announcement came through from UNISON today:
"Unison Labour Link", the structure by which the giant public services union Unison deals with its relations with the Labour Party, has suspended its support for Labour. Its statement reads:
In the circumstances of the union taking national industrial action against the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, named as Regulator and decision maker regarding the LGPS, in is felt that it is not appropriate or politically sensible to be organising, on one hand, for industrial action by the union while sending out letters and leaflets to many of the same members asking them to vote Labour.
The decision has been taken to suspend our election campaigning work for Labour in the May elections while the industrial action is going on.
Labour Link will not be giving any further donations or support to the campaign until we reach a solution to the present LGPS issue.
This is a decision that affects our work for Labour’s election campaign in May nationally and locally.
This is very significant. UNISON has around a million members and if they aren't getting their usual leaflets and brochures then it may make a significant dent in their vote at the forthcoming local elections. More assertive action like this by other trade unions would be very welcome.
Blair is looking even more like Charles I sice he was caught relying on secret loans from his cronies as the unions are increasingly reluctant to make big donations and members continue to haemorrage from the party. Charles similarly had to rely on loans from supporters when his parliament refused to vote him money. Now these loans have been stopped, many politicians seem intent on forcing through state funding of political parties in order to keep the unions out of party politics.