EXTRACT: They saw, or thought they did, the perfect opportunity to distract the attention of the media away from Tory corruption and towards the Labour Party by trying to mount a scare about union bosses holding the country to ransom. After all, the unions, including Unite, bankroll Labour. In this way, the Tories hoped to utilise the disclosure by Ed Miliband on March 30 that he has had eight formal meetings or dinners (Cornish pasties?) with Len McCluskey, the Unite general secretary, since he was elected Labour leader in September 2010. Surely a chance to turn the tables on Labour - too good to miss.
Thus the Conservative Party sent out a ‘secret’ memo to constituency associations outlining their cynical strategy to exploit, and ramp up, the dispute between Unite and the haulage companies. Unfortunately for them however, the memo was quoted in full by Charles Moore in the pages of The Daily Telegraph. There we read: “This is our Thatcher moment. In order to defeat the coming miners’ strike, she stockpiled coal. When the strike came, she weathered it, and the Labour Party, tarred by the strike, was humiliated. In order to defeat the coming fuel drivers’ strike, we want supplies of petrol stockpiled. Then, if the strike comes, we will weather it, and Labour, in hock to the Unite union, will be blamed” (The Daily Telegraph March 30).
READ MORE
Thus the Conservative Party sent out a ‘secret’ memo to constituency associations outlining their cynical strategy to exploit, and ramp up, the dispute between Unite and the haulage companies. Unfortunately for them however, the memo was quoted in full by Charles Moore in the pages of The Daily Telegraph. There we read: “This is our Thatcher moment. In order to defeat the coming miners’ strike, she stockpiled coal. When the strike came, she weathered it, and the Labour Party, tarred by the strike, was humiliated. In order to defeat the coming fuel drivers’ strike, we want supplies of petrol stockpiled. Then, if the strike comes, we will weather it, and Labour, in hock to the Unite union, will be blamed” (The Daily Telegraph March 30).
READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment