Lord Prescot comes out to back Milibands plans to reduce union influence in labour even further

Disgustingly one time union man Lord Prescot has today come out in support of Ed Milibands plans to reduce trade union and ordinary working peoples voice in labour even further. A party that ordinary working people have little democratic voice anyway are set to loose even more power and influence. In a drive to reform the labour party apparently.

The former deputy prime minister Lord Prescott has backed plans by the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, to weaken the power of trade unions in Labour party conference votes.

In an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr show on Sunday, Prescott said it was "time for change" because the current rules – which give the unions 50% of the vote at conference – were seen as "loaded" against the interests of ordinary members in constituency parties.

He cited his defeat in a contest to become the party's treasurer last year as one reason why he was in favour of reform.

Despite winning a clear majority in the constituency section of the contest, he was defeated by the union candidate, Diana Holland, after she won almost 100% of the votes cast by unions.

Prescott is normally perceived as a champion of union interests, and his support will help Miliband in what is likely to be the toughest battle he has faced to reform his party since winning the leadership last year. Even Tony Blair balked at giving the unions less than half the vote at conference.

Prescott said proposing changes to Labour's constitution was "always controversial", but insisted Milband was right to address the issue.

"There is a feeling in the constituencies that perhaps the power of the trade unions has been loaded a bit against the constituencies," he said.

"When I stood for treasurer, I got 63% of the actual votes of the constituencies and hardly anything from the unions because three or four general secretaries decided I wasn't going to be the one and therefore didn't ballot their members. So it's time for change."

Prescott suggested Miliband's move was similar to John Smith's decision to introduce one member, one vote for the selection of parliamentary candidates in 1993.

"There may be resistance to [Miliband's plans] – there was against one member, one vote – and then the conference will make a decision," said Prescott, who helped Smith win one member, one vote with a passionate speech that became famous both for its incoherence and its effectiveness.

He also called Miliband "a man of reform". Dismissing suggestions that the Labour leader was failing to make an impact, he added: "If you're the leader of the Labour party and you want to make change, it'll take you more than a week ... he has only been in the job for 12 months, but he has made some headway."

Miliband has been privately discussing plans with the unions. As the Guardian revealed last week, one plan is for Labour's national policy forum to get a share of the vote at conference, thus diluting the unions' influence.

In a further move that could antagonise the unions, Miliband wants to change the rules for the election of Labour's leader. One idea that has been floated is for registered supporters to get a vote.



All this adds up to further attacks on ordinary working class political support. who have very little say in how the labour party is run and what policies are formed. By reducing the unions influence even furtehr Labour can press ahead with embracing capitalism even further. Just last week they appointed a senior advisor from Goldman Sach's a capitalist organisation in the stock and bonds markets. It just shows which direction the labour party are heading even more. If it is not clear to workers that labour do not represent their interests now i fer some may never see it.

Lord Prescot who speaks so much for working class people who was once a trade union official and found his way into labour that way which is rare these days is looking to backlash at those who helped him get where he is t oday. Attacking the unions will backfire on labour as unions eventually in time with a bit of pressure will pull out of funding a party that will not represent them and their members interests on a political stage.

It looks very much like sour grapes and a act of revenge for Lord Prescot to support this reform to the labour party as he is clearly bitter about not winning the election to become treasurer last year.

All too many ego's inside the labour party sadly today at the top and all want to cling to more power to the top not to the bottom. This is anotehr reason why we need a new workers party. Built in the interests of ordinary working class people with true union and socialist policies put forward.

The time for unions to break with labour is coming to all their minds and it is only a matter of time before ordinary members realise this too that the party does not work in their interests at all.

Is the pressure already growing on Ed Miliband ?

With news reports even if they are from the daily mail of increasing pressuer on our Ed that he isnt performing well even within some labour circles there is a growing feel of unrest.

One daily mail story today suggests Alan Johnson is being prepared to step in as stand in leader if Ed has to go. I imagine alot of this is complete rubbish and tory smears but i do think there is a feeling of frustration growing by the day by labour members and possibly a few MP's behind closed doors.

I persoanlly think Ed feels he has a lot of time to play with and simply drawing the coalition up where they are going wrong but offering no alternative and simply just not being the government will win us the next election.

Frankly this will not do, Ed speaks a good game of having to change our party and change for the better. At a recent policy review forum in Gillingham last weekend he spoke up what he wished to do with teh party. All good talk but so far i've seen nothing to suggest he will be changing the party any time soon. It rather feels like he is wrestling with a huge tanker ship out of control.

It would appear that Ed Miliband and his shadow chancellor disagree publically on several issues and Alan johnson has made this very clear. Yet open discussion and disagreement is seen to be ag ood thing by the upper labour leadership. Alan Johnson disagrees with a graduate tax for student university fees and also doesnt agree with the 50p tax rate to higher earners.

To me it looks like labour is still trapped in the new labour net. It badly wants to break out but there is still a lot of the old guard there who seem to want to hold the party back.

THe irony is and i also discussed this with a friend on twitter earlier today is that new labour who were all for change and big reforms when they got going in the early 90's wanting change for the party and the country once in power are now resisting any form of change that Ed seems to want to take.

On another note another news story appears today in the sunday papers about Ed miliband being refused the chance to go to Afgahinistan for christmas to visit the troops. This has apparently been vetoed by none other than David Cameron. Ed miliband is reported to be furious at being put last in being given a chance to visit our troops out there. It seems that Nick Clegg and David Cameron are running teh show and are not goingto even let Ed get his chance to go out there for himself. This seems like a early tactic of blocking off Ed miliband and making him look weak to the country and his party.

There has been calls that his leadership has been weak taking long time to deal with Phil Wallas and that debacle of the Oldham and Saddleworth seat. Also labours lack of a alternative to the coalitions plans to cut cut cut are frustrating people. It would appear they are sticking with the plan to half the deficit in half in 4 years which i'm not that keen on as it does result in cuts similar to Margret Tatchers cuts in the 80's which were not popular then so why should they be now ?

I think Ed needs to come out a lot lot stronger, with PM q's becoming trickier by the week and Cameron gaining the edge on his most weeks it is looking more and more difficult for Ed to assert his authority and get the upper hand in teh commons.

It was always going to be hard for Ed i realise this and it was always going to take him time to bed into the role but after christmas i really expect things to be getting a lot better for him. The poll ratings shuld be doing better too. With a alternative plan ont he table soon.

We watch this space...