Union Political Contribution Opt Out Forms - For Non-Labour voters of Unison, Unite, GMB and USDAW

Are you a member of a Union, but don't vote Labour?  Do you want to stop your Union, giving your money, to the Labour Party?  Here's a little help:

UNISON Opt out form

UNITE Opt out form

GMB:  A form of exemption notice can be obtained by or on behalf of any member either by application at, or by post from, the Head Office or any Branch Office of the Union or from the:

Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations,
22nd Floor, Euston Tower,

286 Euston Road,

London NW1 3JJ.

This form, when filled in, or a written request in a form to the like effect, should be handed or sent to the Secretary of the Branch to which the member belongs.

USDAW: You must Email them to request opt out. Contact form HERE 

Note: For all other Unions click HERE

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure that when you have opted out that you don't have to request a refund - some of these Unions continue to take your money and won't stop until you request a refund.  You may also notice that your opt out may not start until the New Year.  Good Luck!

Video David Cameron: Vested Interests - Unite.

BA Strike: This is your Pilot Gordon Brown Speaking.

Imagine if Gordon was your pilot:

Hullo, this is your pilot Gordon Brown speaking. We have been informed that our arrival in New York has been delayed. This nothing to do with us, this kind of delay is happening around the world and I'm afraid it's out of my hands. Now, normally this is the point where I would say that there's no need for concern.... but, you see, ah - now how shall I put this? You know how we normally carry enough fuel in reserve for occasions like this? Well erm.... we haven't today. Not my fault, you see - we've run out of money. Those fancy new seats you're sitting on cost an absolute fortune and I'm still paying for them. Yes I know they are uncomfortable and the recline function doesn't work, but hey, you've got to admit, they do look good and spending on seats has gone up in reals terms every year for the last ten years.

Now here's the rub: because we haven't enough fuel to make for another airport, there is a choice to be made. Do we crash on land or into the sea? I can't decide, I've never been very good at making important decisions. I know that is not an ideal quality when you're looking for a pilot, but I've been pushing to be one for ages and no one else turned up for the interview. So this is what we are going to do. Because the cabin staff are on strike, my co-pilot Alistair will come amongst you and take your votes for a forced landing on land or sea. And please note, this is not a referendum - I don't do them - because that is the right thing to do.

So please understand that even though you may think that I got us into this terrible situation, I believe I'm the best qualified person on this plane to crash it. If you do by some wild chance survive this flight, be assured that I have been listening and learning and I hope you will fly with us again. In the mean time, I will be getting on with the job.

Good luck (smiles).

Conservatives ask Gordon Brown to stand up to his Unite paymasters.

Commenting on the news that talks aimed at averting a strike at BA have collapsed, Shadow Transport Secretary, Theresa Villiers said:

"Labour's union paymasters at Unite are determined to inflict travel misery on thousands of families. It is disgraceful that they are going ahead with this unnecessary strike.

“Gordon Brown should do all he can to urge Unite – who are funding his general election campaign – to call off the strike. Or he should stop taking their money.

“Britain now faces Labour’s Spring of discontent with militant unions threatening to bring our railways to a standstill as well. Strike action could leave the country facing a serious transport meltdown.”

Just like the last time we had a Labour government - They left the country skint and in the grip of the Unions. Why do we keep falling for socialism?

General Election Poster: No10 - Under New Management.

During yesterday's PMQs, Gordon Brown refused to give his backing to those British Airways staff who want to work during the upcoming Unite strikes. We have also discovered that some No10 staff are fully paid by the Unite Union. Add this to the massive donations given to Gordon Brown's Labour party, the campaign machine set up in marginal seats, and the number of Unite members standing as Labour MPs, it seems pretty obvious that No10 Downing Street is under new management.

Gordon Brown is nothing but Charlie Whelan's puppet.

Note: This is not an official Conservative Poster.

Member of Unite? Here is your Labour donation opt-out form.

Are you a member of Unite? Are you fed up with your hard earned money going to support the Labour Party? Do you want your money to be spent keeping Gordon Brown in office for FIVE MORE YEARS? Here are some shocking figures from a poll carried out with Unite members from last year:

- 66% of Unite members would not vote Labour if a General Election was called today
- Only 32% of Unite members believe that the Labour party share their values
- Only 25% of Unite members believe that the Labour party leadership is honest and principled
- Only 30% of Unite members believe that the Labour party leadership is competent and capable
- Only 27% of Unite members believe that Gordon Brown is the right person to lead Britain forward after the next general election (Cameron 37%)
-58% of Unite members think that Gordon Brown is bad for them and their families
- 58% of Unite members think that Gordon Brown is not up to the job of being Prime Minister
- Only 36% of Unite members believe that it was right for the union to donate £500,000 to Labour in the last three months.
- Only 31% of Unite members believe that it is right for the union to donate any further large donations to the Labour party.
- 59% of Unite members describe themselves as “moving away from the Labour party”

Click on the form bellow if you are fed up with your money going to the Labour Party:

Unite donates to Labour against the wishes of its members.

The Unite Union's backing of the Labour party has come under some real scrutiny following their decision to strike over the BA situation. How can Gordon Brown act in the best interest of the country if his party has taken £11m in donations from the Union that is causing so much disruption?

A poll carried out by Populus this time last year shows that the majority of Unite's membership are actually NOT supporters of the Labour party. So why are Unite donating so much of their members' money to Labour? Here are some fascinating results from the poll:

66% of Unite members would not vote Labour if a General Election was called today

Only 32% of Unite members believe that the Labour party share their values

Only 25% of Unite members believe that the Labour party leadership is honest and principled

Only 30% of Unite members believe that the Labour party leadership is competent and capable

Only 27% of Unite members believe that Gordon Brown is the right person to lead Britain forward after the next general election (Cameron 37%)

58% of Unite members think that Gordon Brown is bad for them and their families

58% of Unite members think that Gordon Brown is not up to the job of being Prime Minister

Only 36% of Unite members believe that it was right for the union to donate £500,000 to Labour in the last three months.

Only 31% of Unite members believe that it is right for the union to donate any further large donations to the Labour party.

59% of Unite members describe themselves as “moving away from the Labour party”

So I ask again: why are Unite donating their members money to the Labour party? Hardly democratic is it?

You can get your Opt-Out form by clicking HERE.

SHOCKER! Labour's biggest backer Unite to Strike - Gordon Brown says nothing.

Commenting on the decision by Labour’s biggest financial backer, the Unite union, to hold strikes at BA later this month, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Philip Hammond said:

“These strikes will cause misery for millions of travellers but the Government is looking the other way. Maybe it’s because Gordon Brown’s spin doctor is channelling millions from the striking union into Labour’s election coffers. Once again, the Prime Minister is putting his own narrow political interests of above those of the British people.”

The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman this morning refused to condemn the strikes:

"The Prime Minister would not want to comment on individual strikes. We hope a negotiated settlement is reached so that people do not have to go on strike. The Prime Minister has good relations with all the unions."

That's nice.

General Election Poster - Labour Party Funding Explained

From my post in Jan 2008:

Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Alan Duncan is calling for the Union Modernisation Fund to be scrapped. Alan believes that the Unions have Gordon Brown over a barrel, because his party depends so desperately on Union donations. Alan points out that 610,000 working days (20 times last year's number) have been lost this year due to industrial action.

However the government are still giving the unions millions of pounds of the tax payers' money under the guise of the Union Modernisation fund. Some see this as a money laundering scam as the Unions in turn donate millions of pounds to the Labour Party. If the unions are so desperate for tax payer's money, why are they donating millions to the Labour Party?

I agree with Alan, it's well beyond time that this suspect practice was stopped. I do not pay my taxes for a proportion of them to be given to Unions who are financing the Labour Party. Either the Modernisation fund must be scrapped, or the Labour Party must stop taking donations from the Unions.

Unison withdraw financial support for Labour.

Sky are reporting that Unison are suspending payments to 64 constituency Labour parties. Unison give the labour party about £2m each year. This is a major blow to the Labour party and it could be just the first of many. The Union say they are angry over MPs expenses and the part privatisation of Royal Mail. General Secretary Dave Prentis said his union was "tired of feeding the hand that bites it".

Of course as a Conservative member I'm not unhappy to hear this bit of news. However, I am more concerned that this Union is using it's money to try to influence government policy. What will Brown do? Lose the Labour party £2m/year, or become Unison's bitch?

Unite calls on Gordon Brown to turn left.

Press release: Joint leader of unite calls on Labour to change direction

2 Jun 2008

In the wake of the Crewe catastrophe, Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite, will warn that: "It is not the differences between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair that are the problem, it is the similarities."

Speaking at the union's industrial conferences in Brighton this week, Mr Simpson will call for 'New Labour' to be consigned to the history books, as the union opens up a new front to change the policies of the Labour government to show the electorate that only Labour can deal with inequality, housing shortages, rising fuel costs and the health service.

A windfall tax on the billion pound profits of oil companies would redefine Gordon Brown's premiership and win back votes for Labour.

Mr Simpson will tell delegates: "For years the labour movement held its breath expecting, hoping, for change after the departure of Tony Blair. While we went blue from the lack of oxygen, the country has gone blue for the lack of social change. Recent elections show, Labour's core supporters mark their displeasure with Labour by abstention or switching to other parties. Both methods will bring about a Tory government."

The union has welcomed the government's action on agency workers which will make it much harder for employers to treat agency workers as dispensable labour, hired and fired at will. But the union remains hard-pressed to point to government initiatives where working people have come first.

Instead, big business has escaped without sanction from the government for the grotesque excesses, the bonus culture, massive payouts for directors regardless of success and a lack of accountability in the financial system that caused the credit crunch. A recent study shows that the UK's top companies are already saving £20 billion a year on tax through allowances and concessions.

Mr Simpson added: "We'll be using our influence as Labour's biggest affiliate and its biggest financial supporter. Not by hysterical and destabilising threats of removing financial support but rather through persuasion and demonstrating that our policies are popular with traditional Labour voters.

"Even one term of a Tory government could prove impossible for the trade union movement to recover from. Many voters have no memory of the Tory years and don't know what to expect, when they hear Cameron talk about our broken society and the need to 'hug a hoodie' they can be forgiven for being taken in.

"The Tories would end redistribution, they would end family tax credits and the cold weather benefit for pensioners. They would cut back on school and health spending, cut spending on youth services and whilst they have said they will not repeal the minimum wage it's a safe bet that they will let it wither on the vine so it becomes effectively worthless."

It was all going so well until the last two paragraphs when it turned into a socialist rant throwing false accusation at the future Conservative Government.

Union Modernisation fund should be scrapped says Alan Duncan.

Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Alan Duncan is calling for the Union Modernisation Fund to be scrapped. Alan believes that the Unions have Gordon Brown over a barrel, because his party depends so desperately on Union donations. Alan points out that 610,000 working days (20 times last year's number) have been lost this year due to industrial action.

However the government are still giving the unions millions of pounds of the tax payer's money under the guise of the Union Modernisation fund. Some see this as a money laundering scam as the Unions in turn donate millions of pounds to the Labour Party. If the unions are so desperate for tax payer's money, why are they donating millions to the Labour Party?

I agree with Alan, it's well beyond time that this suspect practice was stopped. I do not pay my taxes for a proportion of them to be given to Unions who are financing the Labour Party. Either the Modernisation fund must be scrapped, or the Labour Party must stop taking donations from the Unions.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Winning WW2 is not as important as the EU.

I've just been doing some research into union funding (by the government no less), and while I was rooting around the Parliament website, I came across something which I thought was a little strange. Below is a list that details the occasions on which the Union flag is flown from Portcullis House.

20 January
Birthday of the Countess of Wessex

6 February
Her Majesty’s Accession

19 February
Birthday of the Duke of York

10 March
Birthday of the Earl of Wessex

12 March
Commonwealth Day (second Monday in March)

21 April
Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen

23 April
St. George’s Day

9 May
Europe Day

2 June
Coronation Day

10 June
Birthday of The Duke of Edinburgh

16 June
Official Celebration of Her Majesty’s Birthday

17 July
Birthday of The Duchess of Cornwall

15 August
Birthday of the Princess Royal

11 November
Remembrance Day

14 November
Birthday of The Prince of Wales

20 November
Her Majesty’s Wedding Day

When I looked at the list, I thought "that's funny, why have they listed VE Day as Europe Day?"

It turns out that it says Europe day because it is actually Europe day! Apparently May 9th, marks the anniversary of the day in 1950 when the European Union was conceived. French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman gave a speech calling for European countries to combine their coal and steel production under a single European institution, paving the way to our current European Union.

I must say that I am very disappointed that the day someone came up with the idea of the EU is considered more important than the day that marks the end of the Second World War.

Will capping union donations cause a civil war within the Labour party?

Gordon Brown must decide whether he is going to stay in the donorgate frying pan or jump into the trade union capping fire. Either way he's in for a torrid time of it. If he doesn't agree to union capping, then he will have reneged on his comments made in the last few days of this fiasco. If he does agree to cap union donations then he is facing a potential civil war within the party.

This post (and comments) over on Labourhome gives us a good indication of just how deep into the mire Gordon could be taking his party. If there is a division of opinion on the Labourhome blog, then this will surely translate to the rest of the party. There is talk of Gordon and Hoon being on the wrong side of the fight to keep union money, and strong hints of looking for an alternative leader. Gordon may have leapt into serious trouble in an attempt to rid himself of his current predicament. A tactical error which could see the Labour party destroy itself in an internal war.

This all could have been avoided if Gordon had done the right thing - not the spin thing. Instead of blaming the donation system (which his party masterminded), he should have blamed those who broke the rules of that system. He should have sacked everyone involved in this whole affair. Then he should have announced that if he caught anyone else "at it" they would also be sacked and reported to Knacker of the Yard.

Now Brown is stuck with the choice of either going back on his word (of agreeing to a cap), or alienating masses of Labour and trade union members. Gordon keeps talking about making the hard choices, but many will find this one impossibly hard to swallow.

Keith Vaz spins Labour's involvement in Donorgate.

I've just watch Keith Vaz blatantly spin this whole dodgy donation fiasco in an attempt to pass the buck to the Tories. He's just had the neck to tell the BBC that this is all to do with the conservatives walking away from negotiations on donation capping. The Tories walked away from the negotiations because Labour refused to include the unions into the capping system.

And this is why:

The Government gave £12.8m to the unions (Modernisation Fund). The unions gave £17m in donations to the Labour Party.

That’s money from the TAX PAYER to the GOVERNMENT - from the GOVERNMENT to the UNIONS - and from the UNIONS to the LABOUR PARTY.

Can anyone spot a link? In fact, wouldn’t it be better to cut out the middle men and pay OUR TAXES directly to the LABOUR PARTY?

Fair enough, it could be said that the money given to the unions, by the government on behalf of the tax payer, is different to the money the unions are giving to the Labour party. But why do we the tax payers, need to give the unions £12.8m, when they obviously have £17m to burn on Labour party donations?

Can you smell something? Does it smell like a rodent that likes to frequent our sewers?

I feel sorry most of all for the union members. They are paying their taxes, some of which is finding its way into donations to the Labour party. And then to add insult to injury, they are paying their union fees, which are also finding their way into the Labour party coffers. Do they realise that they are donating twice?

We need a senior member of the shadow cabinet to get on every news channel possible to point out this disgusting practice.

Should we pay our taxes directly to the Labour party?

Labour have got some cheek to complain about Lord Ashcroft's donations to the Conservative party:

The Government gave £12.8m to the unions (Modernisation Fund). The unions gave £17m in donations to the Labour Party.

That’s money from the TAX PAYER to the GOVERNMENT - from the GOVERNMENT to the UNIONS - and from the UNIONS to the LABOUR PARTY.

Can anyone spot a link? In fact, wouldn’t it be better to cut out the middle men and pay OUR TAXES directly to the LABOUR PARTY?

Fair enough, it could be said that the money given to the unions, by the government on behalf of the tax payer, is different to the money the unions are giving to the Labour party. But why do we the tax payers, need to give the unions £12.8m, when they obviously have £17m to burn on Labour party donations?

Can you smell something? Does it smell like a rodent that likes to frequent our sewers?

I feel sorry most of all for the union members. They are paying their taxes, some of which is finding its way into donations to the Labour party. And then to add insult to injury, they are paying their union fees, which are also finding their way into the Labour party coffers. Do they realise that they are donating twice?