This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19777201

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Labour Conference: Ed Miliband says unions cannot dominate Labour Labour Conference: Ed Miliband says unions cannot dominate Labour
(about 2 hours later)
Labour has no future if it is dominated by special interest groups like the unions, Ed Miliband has said.Labour has no future if it is dominated by special interest groups like the unions, Ed Miliband has said.
He told the BBC he would not break Labour's link with the unions, but the party must represent a range of people.He told the BBC he would not break Labour's link with the unions, but the party must represent a range of people.
"There is no future for this party as the party of one sectional interest of society," he said."There is no future for this party as the party of one sectional interest of society," he said.
It follows an interview with Unite's Len McCluskey in which he called for Mr Miliband to stop listening to the "Blairite dead".It follows an interview with Unite's Len McCluskey in which he called for Mr Miliband to stop listening to the "Blairite dead".
Mr McCluskey, whose union gives millions of pounds to Labour every year, told the Sunday Times the Labour leader needed to "kick the New Labour cuckoos out of our nest" and reconnect with the union movement.Mr McCluskey, whose union gives millions of pounds to Labour every year, told the Sunday Times the Labour leader needed to "kick the New Labour cuckoos out of our nest" and reconnect with the union movement.
Some unions believe those on the right of the party remain too influential and want the New Labour pressure group Progress, which was founded in 1996 by Lord Mandelson, to be "outlawed".Some unions believe those on the right of the party remain too influential and want the New Labour pressure group Progress, which was founded in 1996 by Lord Mandelson, to be "outlawed".
'Furious''Furious'
But Mr Miliband told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "I am not for pushing people out of the Labour Party. I want more people in the Labour Party.But Mr Miliband told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show: "I am not for pushing people out of the Labour Party. I want more people in the Labour Party.
"There is no future for this party as one sectional interest of society. We must be the party of the private sector just as much as the party of the public sector.""There is no future for this party as one sectional interest of society. We must be the party of the private sector just as much as the party of the public sector."
He said he wouldn't break the party's link with the unions because "at its best" it puts Labour in touch with working people across the country.He said he wouldn't break the party's link with the unions because "at its best" it puts Labour in touch with working people across the country.
The Unite general secretary confirmed his union had a strategy to "reclaim Labour" by persuading 5,000 trade unionists to join the party by the end of the year to increase pressure within constituency parties to select "union-friendly" candidates for the next election.The Unite general secretary confirmed his union had a strategy to "reclaim Labour" by persuading 5,000 trade unionists to join the party by the end of the year to increase pressure within constituency parties to select "union-friendly" candidates for the next election.
Asked whether this strategy could be viewed as an attempt to take over the party, McCluskey replied: "Of course we are trying to influence the party again.Asked whether this strategy could be viewed as an attempt to take over the party, McCluskey replied: "Of course we are trying to influence the party again.
"It really is a question of us having to go to our activists and get them to join the Labour party. The answer we get back is 'why?' and we have got to be able to say that we are trying to win Labour back for our core values: a belief in collectivism, a belief in fairness, justice, equality, decency and respect and to kick the New Labour cuckoos out of our nest.""It really is a question of us having to go to our activists and get them to join the Labour party. The answer we get back is 'why?' and we have got to be able to say that we are trying to win Labour back for our core values: a belief in collectivism, a belief in fairness, justice, equality, decency and respect and to kick the New Labour cuckoos out of our nest."
The Unite general secretary told the newspaper union members were "furious" with Labour's "crazy" decision to back a pay freeze in the public sector and he threatened to withdraw constituency funding for MPs who were not in line with the union's position.The Unite general secretary told the newspaper union members were "furious" with Labour's "crazy" decision to back a pay freeze in the public sector and he threatened to withdraw constituency funding for MPs who were not in line with the union's position.
"We should only be supporting those constituencies where their vision of the type of future that we want is in line with ours," he said."We should only be supporting those constituencies where their vision of the type of future that we want is in line with ours," he said.
Mr Miliband said the union boss was entitled to his view on public sector pay but he was "wrong".Mr Miliband said the union boss was entitled to his view on public sector pay but he was "wrong".
"We've got the right policy to say we put jobs in the public sector ahead of pay rises. That's what we said we would do this parliament," he said."We've got the right policy to say we put jobs in the public sector ahead of pay rises. That's what we said we would do this parliament," he said.
"It is a difficult decision but it is the way to keep jobs in the public sector.""It is a difficult decision but it is the way to keep jobs in the public sector."
Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB, said shadow chancellor Ed Balls needed to "get closer to what is happening on the ground", accusing him of being out of touch on public sector pay.
He said the Labour party's MPs were now "truly unrepresentative" of working people and dominated by career politicians, such as those like Ed Balls and Ed Miliband who worked as advisers to Gordon Brown before becoming MPs.
"It doesn't look like the country and it has to do that," he told BBC News.