The Staggers  The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog
Syndicate contentRSS  The myth of the trade union "block vote"
The block vote was abolished for Labour leadership elections 20
years ago. So why do David Cameron and the conservative press
claim it still exists?  New Statesman  In their attempt to frame
Ed Miliband as a leader in hock to the "union barons" (who,
unlike real barons, have actually been elected), the
Conservatives and the right-wing press consistently refer to him
as owing his position to the "union block vote".   At a recent
PMQs, David Cameron declared: "They own you lock, stock and
block vote." The Conservative press office claimed yesterday
that Len McCluskey "has a block-vote on policies, candidates,
and picking the leader". The Daily Mail's Andrew Pierce wrote on
Friday that Miliband "owes his unexpected election as leader to
the union block vote". A Telegraph editorial states today that
he "owes his position to the union block vote".   What all
either don't know or won't say is tha