Labour links to unions 'for life'

The historic link between Britain's Labour party and the unions is for life not just an election campaign, the party’s chairman said tonight.

Ian McCartney delivered a strong message for the two wings of the movement to work together to win a third term in power for Labour.

Mr McCartney said Labour could become the natural party of British government with the help of trade unions.

Addressing the TUC general council at a dinner in Brighton, Mr McCartney said he was confident that Labour and the unions could have a strong relationship.

“We now have an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the party and the unions at all levels. People say a dog is for life and not just for Christmas. I say the Labour-union link is for life, not just for an election campaign.”

Mr McCartney, standing in for Chancellor Gordon Brown who was due to attend the dinner but travelled to see his sick mother in Scotland, said voters at the next election would be given a clear choice of Labour’s investment in public services or Tory cuts, charges and privatisation.

He told the union leaders that their focus should be on growth to stop challenges to their relevance such as that issued last week by CBI director general Digby Jones.

“A growing union movement is not increasingly irrelevant and a progressive movement that works with good employers is not irrelevant.”

Other ministers who joined tonight’s dinner included Alan Milburn.