Labour is accused of being in thrall to the unions, after Cabinet ministers received hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations before announcing generous public sector pay deals. The Telegraph has more.
Sir Keir Starmer’s top team have accepted a total of £480,030 in cash and donations in kind from the party’s union backers since 2019.
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has already announced inflation-busting pay rises for millions of public sector workers since Labour took office last month.
Teachers and nurses are in line for a 5.5% pay boost, while prison service workers and senior NHS managers will see their pay increase by 5%.
Train drivers have also been offered a bumper pay rise of 14% over three years.
The recommendations are drawn up by independent pay boards but it is ultimately Ms. Reeves who has the final say.
Analysis of the MPs’ register of financial interests shows Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has received £14,286 in support from unions in the past five years. …
Louise Haigh, the Transport Secretary, has received a total of £24,289 in union support since 2019. …
A total of £10,040 in indirect donations from the GMB union has been made to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary. …
Senior Conservatives have accused Labour of being in thrall to the unions, whose backing has traditionally been central to the party’s finances.
Ben Wallace, the former Defence Secretary, last week claimed the generosity of public sector pay offers showed the Government prioritised its union “paymasters” over national security.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Liam Conlon MP, the son of Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff, accepted a donation of £4,000 from Aslef after he was selected to stand as a Labour Party candidate at the end of last year. The Mail has more.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.