March 3, 2009
The right-wing press doesn't like the Labour government, and by extension doesn't like trade unions either.
But even Guru was surprised to see the jolly face of Unite general secretary Derek Simpson on the front page of the Mail on Sunday. The paper ran a story atacking the union chief for spending several nights at the five star Waldorf Hotel rather than travel home.
Now disciples will know that Simpson has been a vocal critic of fat cat bankers and the huge salaries and bonuses they enjoy. So the MoS delighted in telling its readers that Simpso "enjoys the trappings of the fat-cat lifestyle", lives in an £800,000 house, and took home thousands of pounds worth of benefits last year.
But what really puzzled Guru was where did this story come from, and why was it published now?
Being a naturally cynical fellow, Guru spoke to one of his union buddies who gave the inside track on the Simpson 'expose'. Here are some points to consider:
- A leadership vote involving Derek Simpson and three other candidates is running until 6 March
- The only reason a leadership election is taking place is because of the threat of a legal challenge against Simpson after he indicated he would stay on past his 65th birthday
- The previous week, Simpson and fellow Unite leader Tony Woodley warned that a UK car plant was at risk of closing unless it received extra cash from the government. The line of 'protecting members' jobs' was pushed very hard.
- The MoS story only mentions one other leadership candidate, Kevin Coyne, so it's safe to assume that he - or his associates - were the source of the story.
Guru thinks that whatever the political in-fighting taking place within Unite, it does the comrades no good for this stuff to be splashed all over the papers.
If Simpson wants Guru's advice, he should stay at The Lanesborough next time - you get more bang for your (members') buck.
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