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| 'I was politicised by the docks': the rise of Len McCluskey | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Former Liverpool dock worker Len McCluskey was elected leader of Unite, Britain and Ireland’s biggest trade union, in November 2010. | Former Liverpool dock worker Len McCluskey was elected leader of Unite, Britain and Ireland’s biggest trade union, in November 2010. |
| A couple of months earlier, the 1.4 million-member union of workers in industries ranging from ship building to car manufacture, construction and chemicals, had backed Ed Miliband for the Labour leadership. | A couple of months earlier, the 1.4 million-member union of workers in industries ranging from ship building to car manufacture, construction and chemicals, had backed Ed Miliband for the Labour leadership. |
| When Miliband won, McCluskey declared with characteristic grandeur that “the Blairite era of free markets and neoliberalism had failed”. | When Miliband won, McCluskey declared with characteristic grandeur that “the Blairite era of free markets and neoliberalism had failed”. |
| The Miliband project ended in disappointment for McCluskey but, using the union’s multi-million-pound donations as leverage, he has maintained Unite’s mighty influence in the Labour party’s power struggles, most recently refusing to allow Jeremy Corbyn to stand down and so triggering the current leadership contest. | The Miliband project ended in disappointment for McCluskey but, using the union’s multi-million-pound donations as leverage, he has maintained Unite’s mighty influence in the Labour party’s power struggles, most recently refusing to allow Jeremy Corbyn to stand down and so triggering the current leadership contest. |
| McCluskey’s one-time flatmate, the Labour deputy leader, Tom Watson, had been hoping for a smoother transition, but McCluskey called the wave of resignations by Labour frontbenchers “an attempted political lynching, designed to bully and bludgeon Jeremy Corbyn, this deeply decent and kind man, out of the job he was elected to do”. | McCluskey’s one-time flatmate, the Labour deputy leader, Tom Watson, had been hoping for a smoother transition, but McCluskey called the wave of resignations by Labour frontbenchers “an attempted political lynching, designed to bully and bludgeon Jeremy Corbyn, this deeply decent and kind man, out of the job he was elected to do”. |
| Leonard David McCluskey’s active trade unionism began in 1968 when he became a senior shop steward on the Liverpool docks, leading the first of many strikes throughout his career. | Leonard David McCluskey’s active trade unionism began in 1968 when he became a senior shop steward on the Liverpool docks, leading the first of many strikes throughout his career. |
| “I was very much a child of the 60s,” he has said. “Revolution was in the air. I was politicised by the docks.” | “I was very much a child of the 60s,” he has said. “Revolution was in the air. I was politicised by the docks.” |
| By 1979 he was on the rise, appointed an officer of the Transport and General Workers union and he became national secretary for its general workers group in 1990. In 2010, he led British Airways cabin crew in a high-profile industrial dispute against the airline’s chief executive, Willie Walsh. | By 1979 he was on the rise, appointed an officer of the Transport and General Workers union and he became national secretary for its general workers group in 1990. In 2010, he led British Airways cabin crew in a high-profile industrial dispute against the airline’s chief executive, Willie Walsh. |
| McCluskey has said he flirted with Militant in the 1980s but did not become a member. He has nevertheless been branded “Red Len” by sections of the media for his combative approach to socialism and industrial relations. He had a black and white drawing of Lenin writing at a desk in his London office. | McCluskey has said he flirted with Militant in the 1980s but did not become a member. He has nevertheless been branded “Red Len” by sections of the media for his combative approach to socialism and industrial relations. He had a black and white drawing of Lenin writing at a desk in his London office. |
| Miliband’s ascent to the Labour leadership in 2010 appeared to give him some hope of achieving what he once described as “a socialist Valhalla” in Britain. But by 2014, with Labour struggling in the run-up to the 2015 general election, he admitted he had given up on that dream and appeared to threaten to use Unite’s financial power to back a new “workers party”. | Miliband’s ascent to the Labour leadership in 2010 appeared to give him some hope of achieving what he once described as “a socialist Valhalla” in Britain. But by 2014, with Labour struggling in the run-up to the 2015 general election, he admitted he had given up on that dream and appeared to threaten to use Unite’s financial power to back a new “workers party”. |