FBU to cut links to Labour Party

The
Fire Brigades union has voted to sever ties with the Labour Party for the first
time since the union’s creation more than a hundred years ago.

Union
members voted overwhelmingly to become the first union to voluntarily
disaffiliate from Labour, highlighting anger over government action during the
firefighters’ strike and the Iraq war.

More
than 35,000 members in the 52,000-strong union voted to sever links, which will
put an end to the union’s £52,000-a-year contributions to the party.

Mike
Fordham, assistant general secretary of the FBU, opposed the vote, saying the
union risked political isolation. Instead, he suggested cutting funding to £20,000-a-year
instead.

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The
Communication Workers Union has also said it will cut all of the
£450,000-a-year it gives to the Labour Party if the government does not give
assurances that Royal Mail will not be privatised.

Michael
Millar