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| Miliband leading Labour to destruction, McCluskey says | Miliband leading Labour to destruction, McCluskey says |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Ed Miliband has set Labour on a path towards "destruction" and "certain election defeat", the head of the UK's biggest union has warned the party. | Ed Miliband has set Labour on a path towards "destruction" and "certain election defeat", the head of the UK's biggest union has warned the party. |
| Unite general secretary Len McCluskey made the comments after Labour's decision to support the government's pay freeze for public sector workers. | Unite general secretary Len McCluskey made the comments after Labour's decision to support the government's pay freeze for public sector workers. |
| Mr McCluskey href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jan/16/ed-miliband-leading-labour-destruction" >wrote in the Guardian that the decision undermined Mr Miliband's leadership and could prompt a Blairite coup. | |
| Labour said the assessment was wrong. | Labour said the assessment was wrong. |
| Mr McCluskey's comments were echoed by Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT transport trade union, who said Labour was now "doomed" to electoral defeat. | |
| "They could have sided with the millions of people at the sharp end of this government's policies and they have blown it and the price they pay will be political oblivion," he said. | |
| The government announced in 2010 that public sector pay for those earning more than £21,000 would be frozen for | |
| Then last November Chancellor George Osborne said pay would rise by only 1% in the two years to 2015. | Then last November Chancellor George Osborne said pay would rise by only 1% in the two years to 2015. |
| Shadow chancellor Ed Balls indicated on Saturday that Labour would support the pay freeze in order to help reduce the UK's budget deficit, saying that "given the economy failing as it is... pay restraint is going to have to continue". | Shadow chancellor Ed Balls indicated on Saturday that Labour would support the pay freeze in order to help reduce the UK's budget deficit, saying that "given the economy failing as it is... pay restraint is going to have to continue". |
| Mr Miliband said it was "a hard choice", but when faced with either protecting jobs or giving pay rises, it was "absolutely right to prioritise employment". | Mr Miliband said it was "a hard choice", but when faced with either protecting jobs or giving pay rises, it was "absolutely right to prioritise employment". |
| Unions criticised the move at the weekend, accusing Labour of "emulating the Tories on many issues", but Mr McCluskey's comments are the strongest yet from a union affiliated to the Labour Party. | Unions criticised the move at the weekend, accusing Labour of "emulating the Tories on many issues", but Mr McCluskey's comments are the strongest yet from a union affiliated to the Labour Party. |
| In an article in the Guardian, Mr McCluskey writes that the decision has put the party into conflict with millions of poorly paid public sector workers who now face years of effective wage cuts. | |
| "Ed Balls' sudden weekend embrace of austerity and the government's public sector pay squeeze represents a victory for discredited Blairism at the expense of the party's core supporters," he writes. | "Ed Balls' sudden weekend embrace of austerity and the government's public sector pay squeeze represents a victory for discredited Blairism at the expense of the party's core supporters," he writes. |
| "It also challenges the whole course Ed Miliband has set for the party, and perhaps his leadership itself." | "It also challenges the whole course Ed Miliband has set for the party, and perhaps his leadership itself." |
| 'Cavalier way' | 'Cavalier way' |
| Mr McCluskey rejected the argument that pay restraint would help create jobs and he criticised Labour for its failure to consult with trade unions before making the "shift" in policy. | |
| "Notwithstanding that it impacts on millions of our members, it is hard to imagine the City being treated in such a cavalier way in relation to a change in banking policy," he wrote. | "Notwithstanding that it impacts on millions of our members, it is hard to imagine the City being treated in such a cavalier way in relation to a change in banking policy," he wrote. |
| "This confronts those of us who have supported Ed Miliband's bold attempt to move on from Blairism with a challenge. His leadership has been undermined as he is being dragged back into the swamp of bond market orthodoxy. | "This confronts those of us who have supported Ed Miliband's bold attempt to move on from Blairism with a challenge. His leadership has been undermined as he is being dragged back into the swamp of bond market orthodoxy. |
| "Having won on the measures, 'new Labour' will likely come for the man sooner or later. And that way lies the destruction of the Labour Party as constituted, as well as certain general election defeat." | "Having won on the measures, 'new Labour' will likely come for the man sooner or later. And that way lies the destruction of the Labour Party as constituted, as well as certain general election defeat." |
| Unions founded Labour and supply around 90% of the party's funds. The Unite union is Labour's biggest donor. | Unions founded Labour and supply around 90% of the party's funds. The Unite union is Labour's biggest donor. |
| 'A little distance' | |
| A spokesman for Mr Miliband rejected Mr McCluskey's attack. | A spokesman for Mr Miliband rejected Mr McCluskey's attack. |
| "Len McCluskey is wrong about our policy now and our approach for the future," the spokesman said. | "Len McCluskey is wrong about our policy now and our approach for the future," the spokesman said. |
| "And Len McCluskey is wrong about what the last week showed for the Labour Party - a party united in its determination to pursue fairness even in tough times, make capitalism more responsible, and protect our priorities." | "And Len McCluskey is wrong about what the last week showed for the Labour Party - a party united in its determination to pursue fairness even in tough times, make capitalism more responsible, and protect our priorities." |
| BBC chief political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said Mr Miliband's political opponents had repeatedly claimed he was indebted to trade unions as a result of them "delivering" his victory in the leadership contest. | |
| Our correspondent said there will be people who will think criticism from trade unions is not too bad for the Labour leader because it will "create a little distance" from trade unions. |