The unlovely Unite boss Len McCluskey, still complaining about Labour's antisemitism payout, is now threatening to withdraw the union's financial support.
Len McCluskey, the left-wing leader of Unite, has warned that it would be “a mistake” for Labour to take its financial contributions “for granted” following the decision to pay damages to antisemitism whistleblowers.
Mr McCluskey, in an interview with The Observer, stated that there was “no doubt” that the Unite executive would seek a review of its funding of the party.
He claimed that much of the six-figure damages that had been awarded to the seven whistleblowers who spoke to the BBC’s Panorama in July 2019 had come from Unite funds.
“It’s an abuse of members’ money,” said Mr McCluskey, a key supporter for former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
McCluskey should know a thing or two about abusing members’ money: he's being doing it himself for long enough. From Private Eye:
Rather than spending Unite members’ money on fighting to save jobs as Covid-19 leads to mass unemployment, Len McCluskey gives every appearance of throwing it at fat-cat lawyers.
A letter from Carter-Ruck to the Labour party’s solicitors Martin Howe & Co, seen by the Eye, reveals that the pricey law firm was acting for Jeremy Corbyn, his director of communications Seumas Milne and Jennie Formby, Labour’s general secretary under Corbyn (and McCluskey’s former lover).
How could the trio afford solicitors reputed to charge £500 an hour? The letter sent on 21 July, as Labour prepared to settle libel claims brought by Panorama’s John Ware and seven Labour whistleblowers, offers a clue. Carter-Fuck told Labour’s lawyers its clients were “supported by Unite”.
No expense spared for Len's pals – and from union funds, it seems. Though in the end it didn't do them any good.
And it's not the first time:
Late last year the former Labour MP Anna Turley sued Unite and the alt-left “news” site Skwawkbox for falsely accusing her of joining the union on a “fraudulent basis”. The judge awarded her punitive damages and estimated costs of at least £1.5m. Skwawkbox’s editor revealed that Unite was meeting his bills too.
Leave a Reply