LAST week, with the start of nominations for the new General Secretary of Unite the Union, the Unite bureaucracy moved swiftly to back Leonard David McCluskey (born 23 July 1950), who has been the General secretary of Unite since 2011. According to his Wikipedia entry he previously spent some years working on the Liverpool Docks before to becoming a full-time union official.
On the 16th January 2017, Tim Lezard in Union News reported:
'Len McCluskey has swept the board in support from officers and reps in Unite in his bid to be re-election the union’s general secretary.
'McCluskey, who is standing against Gerard Coyne and Ian Allison, has won the backing of nine out of Unite’s ten regions as well as the vast majority of officers, sectoral and regional committee chairs and executive members.'
Meanwhile, Guido Fawkes on December 22nd, 2016 wrote on his Blog that the 'Pro-Assad agitprop rag the Morning Star has endorsed Len McCluskey for the Unite leadership.'
Guido Fawkes added: 'Their floppy-haired, Oxford-educated editor Ben Chacko explains: “Mr McCluskey’s support and advice has been of great value to us throughout his leadership”.'
Guido reminds us that 'Chacko’s (Morning Star) paper is in line to receive a good deal more than “advice” should Red Len be re-appointed General Secretary of Britain’s wealthiest union. During McCluskey’s current tenure “support” meant thousands of full-colour Morning Star subscription mail shots sent out to Unite branches across Britain at members’ expense.'
It seems that in one leaflet Mr. McCluskey decreed: 'There is no substitute for reading the paper but you could also take out a shareholding in the Morning Star and send a regular monthly sum to the paper’s Fighting Fund.'
McCluskey became an officer of the TGWU on Merseyside in 1979, and was its campaign organiser throughout the 1980s, during that time he supported the Militant tendency, but was not a member of it.
McCluskey was elected as the National Secretary of the TGWU General Workers Group in 1990, and moved to London to work at the union headquarters. In 2004 he became the TGWU's national organiser for the service industries. In 2007, he was appointed as the Assistant General Secretary for Industrial Strategy of the newly merged Unite the Union. He defines himself as being on the left of the union, and has been given the label of "Red Len" in the British press.
In 2010, McCluskey stood for election as General Secretary of Unite to replace joint-General Secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, who had both announced their retirement.
On 21 November 2010, it was announced that McCluskey had won the election.[
McCluskey took office as the General Secretary on 1 January 2011. In 2013, McCluskey announced that he would be running for re-election as General Secretary.[6] He was re-elected in 2013 with the following results posted. The full election results of those elections are as follows:
Len McCluskey: 144,570 votes.
Jerry Hicks: 79,819 votes.
Number of ballot papers found to be invalid: 1,412.
Total number of valid votes cast: 224,389.
Turnout: 15.2 per cent.
In November 2013, McCluskey denied fresh claims that his Unite Union had tried to prevent a Labour Party investigation into alleged vote rigging in Falkirk.
In March 2015, McCluskey threatened to disaffiliate Unite from Labour and launch a new workers' party if Labour lost the 2015 General Election.
After moving to London as part of the T&GWU national operation in 1991 whilst still married, his partner Jennie Formby (née Sandle), gave birth to a child at Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton.
On 21 November 2010, it was announced that McCluskey had won the election.[
McCluskey took office as the General Secretary on 1 January 2011. In 2013, McCluskey announced that he would be running for re-election as General Secretary.[6] He was re-elected in 2013 with the following results posted. The full election results of those elections are as follows:
Len McCluskey: 144,570 votes.
Jerry Hicks: 79,819 votes.
Number of ballot papers found to be invalid: 1,412.
Total number of valid votes cast: 224,389.
Turnout: 15.2 per cent.
History of mishandling the Falkirk election & disaffiliation threat.
In July 2013, McCluskey accused the Labour Party of 'picking the wrong fight' over the selection of a prospective candidate in the Falkirk constituency. He described Labour party headquarters' handling of the matter as 'nothing short of disgraceful'.[8]In November 2013, McCluskey denied fresh claims that his Unite Union had tried to prevent a Labour Party investigation into alleged vote rigging in Falkirk.
In March 2015, McCluskey threatened to disaffiliate Unite from Labour and launch a new workers' party if Labour lost the 2015 General Election.
After moving to London as part of the T&GWU national operation in 1991 whilst still married, his partner Jennie Formby (née Sandle), gave birth to a child at Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton.
In 1994, McCluskey made headlines after it was revealed that he had received a subsidized loan of £90,000 to buy a house with Formby in NW10, London. Mr. McCluskey lives with his partner Paula Lace. In 2013, Jennie Formby was appointed Unite's political director on £75,000, replacing Steve (Stephen) Hart, who was the son of Judith Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark.
Clashes in the current Election for General Secretary
McCluskey and one of the other candidates Kevin Coyne have clashed over the airwaves. Speaking on the BBC’s Pienaar’s Politics, McCluskey accused his challenger of being a 'puppet of Labour’s hard right'. Coyne responded, saying:
'Absolutely I am not a puppet. The reality is I have a vision and a change agenda for our union that is about putting in back in the hand of the members and making the union focus on the issues that are important to them.'
Meanwhile, Ian Allinson in December criticised McCluskey for suggesting that workers could benefit from reforms to the free movement of people when Britain leaves the European Union.
Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton.[1][3][11] In 1994, McCluskey made headlines after it was revealed that he had received a subsidized loan of £90,000 to buy a house with Formby in NW10, London.[12] McCluskey lives with his partner Paula Lace. In 2013, Jennie Formby was appointed Unite's political director on £75,000, replacing Steve (Stephen) Hart, who was the son of Judith Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark
TGWU General Workers Group in 1990, and moved to London to work in the union's national headquarters.[1][3]
TGWU in Merseyside in 1979 and was its campaign organiser throughout the 1980s,[3][5] during which he supported Militant tendency, but was not a member of it.[1]
In 2010, McCluskey stood for election as General Secretary of Unite to replace joint-General Secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, who had both announced their retirement. On 21 November 2010, it was announced that McCluskey had won the election.[3] Derek Simpson retired a few weeks later, in December 2010, and Tony Woodley followed shortly after that, leaving McCluskey to take office as the General Secretary on 1 January 2011.[5] In 2013, McCluskey announced that he would be running for re-election as General Secretary.[6] He was re-elected in 2013 with the following results posted. The full election results are as follows:
Len McCluskey: 144,570 votes.
Jerry Hicks: 79,819 votes.
Number of ballot papers found to be invalid: 1,412.
Total number of valid votes cast: 224,389.
Turnout: 15.2 per cent.
'Pro-Assad agitprop rag the Morning Star has endorsed Len McCluskey for the Unite leadership. Their floppy-haired, Oxford-educated editor Ben Chacko explains:
Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton.[1][3][11] In 1994, McCluskey made headlines after it was revealed that he had received a subsidized loan of £90,000 to buy a house with Formby in NW10, London.[12] McCluskey lives with his partner Paula Lace. In 2013, Jennie Formby was appointed Unite's political director on £75,000, replacing Steve (Stephen) Hart, who was the son of Judith Hart, Baroness Hart of South Lanark
TGWU General Workers Group in 1990, and moved to London to work in the union's national headquarters.[1][3]
TGWU in Merseyside in 1979 and was its campaign organiser throughout the 1980s,[3][5] during which he supported Militant tendency, but was not a member of it.[1]
He
McCluskey was elected as the National Secretary of the TGWU General Workers Group in 1990, and moved to London to work in the union's national headquarters.[1][3] In 2004 he became the TGWU's national organiser for the service industries.[3] In 2007, he was appointed as the Assistant General Secretary for Industrial Strategy of the newly merged Unite the Union.[3] He defines himself as being on the left of the union, and has been given the label of "Red Len" in the British press because of his involvement in Unite's dispute with British Airways.[5]In 2010, McCluskey stood for election as General Secretary of Unite to replace joint-General Secretaries Derek Simpson and Tony Woodley, who had both announced their retirement. On 21 November 2010, it was announced that McCluskey had won the election.[3] Derek Simpson retired a few weeks later, in December 2010, and Tony Woodley followed shortly after that, leaving McCluskey to take office as the General Secretary on 1 January 2011.[5] In 2013, McCluskey announced that he would be running for re-election as General Secretary.[6] He was re-elected in 2013 with the following results posted. The full election results are as follows:
Len McCluskey: 144,570 votes.
Jerry Hicks: 79,819 votes.
Number of ballot papers found to be invalid: 1,412.
Total number of valid votes cast: 224,389.
Turnout: 15.2 per cent.
'Pro-Assad agitprop rag the Morning Star has endorsed Len McCluskey for the Unite leadership. Their floppy-haired, Oxford-educated editor Ben Chacko explains:
“Mr McCluskey’s support and advice has been of great value to us throughout his leadership.”Guido concluded his critique: 'Len’s “support” has indeed been of “great value” to the Morning Star, least they can do is repay the favour…'
“We’re backing Len” – McCluskey sweeps board with
endorsements from officers and reps
16th January 2017 Tim Lezard News
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An advert in the Morning Star, showing the nominations
received by Len McCluskey
An advert in the Morning Star, showing the nominations
received by Len McCluskey
An advert in the Morning Star, showing the nominations
received by Len McCluskey
Len McCluskey has swept the board in support from officers
and reps in Unite in his bid to be re-election the union’s general secretary.
McCluskey, who is standing against Gerard Coyne and Ian
Allison, has won the backing of nine out of Unite’s ten regions as well as the
vast majority of officers, sectoral and regional committee chairs and executive
members.
He said: “I am deeply honoured to have received the
over-whelming support of the people who give their time to build this great
union and defend our members.
“Their vote of confidence in me is phenomenal. It sends a signal to our members that despite
what one of my opponents may say, this union has gone from strength to strength
under my leadership.
“This sends a clear signal to Unite members that their union
is stable and united, determined to deliver for them in our workplaces – and
wants to stay on this course.
“I hope now that this will persuade one general secretary
candidate to desist from the nonsense claims he is making about our union, assisted
all too eagerly by parts of the media who are openly hostile to this movement.
“The truth about Unite is that it is proudly united,
democratic, progressive and will never, as long as I lead it, ever turn its
back on its members.”
Meanwhile, McCluskey and Coyne clashed yesterday over the
airwaves. Speaking on the BBC’s Pienaar’s Politics, McCluskey accused his
challenger of being a “puppet of Labour’s hard right”. Coyne responded, saying:
“Absolutely I am not a puppet. The reality is I have a vision and a change
agenda for our union that is about putting in back in the hand of the members
and making the union focus on the issues that are important to them.”
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