Labour to 'work hand in glove' with union barons inflicting misery on millions this week

With millions of commuters and other travellers set to be stranded this week by rail strikes starting today led by the Aslef train drivers union, a new dossier has revealed how close the Labour leadership is tied to them.

The dossier passed to Express.co.uk shows how Aslef and other rail unions pay senior frontbenchers of Sir Keir Starmer’s “government in waiting” including shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh and Deputy Leader Angela Rayner.

It comes amid concerns that this week’s rail strikes are “political” and aimed more at bringing down a Conservative government than being about pay and conditions.

The Tories have brought in anti-strike legislation to ensure a minimum service for key areas such as the NHS and transport.

But Labour has vowed to repeal the legislation in a move some believe will allow the unions to unleash chaos on Britain again.

Louise Haigh – Shadow Transport Secretary

Louise Haigh is currently slated to be the Transport Secretary if Labour win the next election.

In an interview as shadow transport secretary in Aslef Journal in March 2022 she promised: “We will be working hand in glove with you.”

Speaking at the Aslef conference in May 2022, she said: “As a proud trade unionist, it’s an honour to work with this fantastic union on building a world-class rail network that passengers, workers and the public deserve.”

At the same conference, she welcomed Aslef’s vote to become affiliated to Labour again: “As one of the unions that founded Labour, they are a valued voice in our movement. Looking forward to continuing to work together in the interests of rail workers and passengers.”

In August 2022 she gave her support for Aslef’s industrial dispute: “This week I met with Mick Whelan and Aslef colleagues. Train drivers helped keep the country running during the pandemic. They deserve fair pay and respect. Yet, shamefully, Grant Shapps [then transport secretary] still refuses to do his job and sit down with them to agree a deal.”

Aslef has publicly thanked Haigh for her support during the strikes.

Haigh has a record of backing strikes, the day after she was appointed shadow Transport Secretary in November 2021 she joined a Unite picket line in a dispute with Stagecoach.

Angela Rayner – Deputy Leader

In May 2022 Ms Rayner also celebrated Aslef affiliating with Labour again.

Aslef has described Labour’s Deputy Leader as: “One of us.“

Rayner celebrated Aslef’s 140th birthday with general secretary Mick Whelan, the man behind the strike misery.

Jo Stevens – Shadow Welsh Secretary

Jo Stevens chairs the Aslef group among Labour MPs.

Stevens spoke at the union’s 2023 conference, promising to “repeal anti-trade union laws in the first 100 days of the next Labour government.”

How rail union money funds Labour

Since Sir Keir Starmer became leader in April 2020 rail unions have donated £523,588:

• Aslef has donated at least £228,376
• TSSA has donated at least £180,846 (including donations to shadow cabinet member Ed Miliband)
• RMT has donated at least £114,366

In the last decade, rail unions have donated £2,535,138 to Labour:

• Aslef has donated at least £929,172
• RMT has donated at least £589,107
• TSSA has donated at least £1,016,859

Six shadow cabinet members have received funding from rail unions – Rayner, Miliband, Stevens, Luke Pollard, Matt Rodda and Alex Cunningham The serving First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, also received a donation.

Mick Whelan, Aslef general secretary, is chair of Labour Unions, the group of unions which are affiliated to and fund the Labour Party known as National TULO (the Trade Union Labour Organisation) which is based at Labour HQ.

Political aims

Aslef General Secretary Mick Whelan has been a major backer of protests against Israel after Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack on October 7 last year.

Whelan appeared to suggest that strikes were aimed to bring down the government when he spoke at the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom conference.

He said: “Now it’s time to co-ordinate sectoral action and workers across all sectors. They call it collusion, I call it the future.”

He also described Aslef’s action as a “strike against our government” and a “political strike.”

Meanwhile, in October 2022 RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch suggested that the unions needed to take control of Labour.

He said: “They’ll still be accountable to us after, when they’re in government hopefully…We don’t give them our support unconditionally. The condition we put on is that the Labour Party, the labour movement, is the property of the working people of this country.”

What people say:

Craig Tracey MP, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party said: “Union barons are running the show at Labour.

“Sir Keir can’t say what he’d do to stop the strikes, because his Party is too busy stuffing its coffers with millions of pounds in union cash behind closed doors.

“Labour should stop dancing to the unions’ tune and listen to real Brits who just want these strikes to end.”

Louise Haigh, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said: “Under the Conservatives the first national rail strike in three decades is rumbling on in its second year, costing the economy over £1billion.

“It is a staggering dereliction of duty that the Transport Secretary hasn’t got around the table with the unions to try to resolve it since the Christmas before last.

“Labour will take an unashamedly different approach to the Tories, and will work with both sides to reach a deal in the interests of passengers and workers. If the Transport Secretary took this sensible approach then perhaps we wouldn’t still be having strikes on our railways.”