Britain's Labour leader seeks to limit damage from union row

By William James

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's opposition said he wanted to 'mend, not end' Labour's links to trade unions on Sunday in a bid to limit the damage from a row over outside influence.

Two years ahead of an election, the row has put the Labour party and Ed Miliband under pressure and handed some political momentum back to the ruling Conservative Party, which has been struggling with its own divisions and flagging in opinion polls.

Britain's biggest union, Unite, has been accused of hijacking the selection of a candidate to contest a parliamentary seat in the Scottish town of Falkirk to boost its influence in government. Unite said it operated within Labour's rules.

"The events we have seen in Falkirk have betrayed the values of our party," Miliband wrote in Sunday's Observer paper, while stressing that "ordinary working people" were an asset to Labour and that links to the unions would remain.

"We should mend the relationship, not end it," he said.

On Friday, Labour said it had handed evidence to police investigators supporting allegations of malpractice at Falkirk.

The incident has put Labour's long-standing links with unions, who are the party's biggest source of funding, in the spotlight and on Thursday prompted Miliband's election coordinator, Tom Watson, to resign that position.

"It is at heart an ideological battle, a political battle between those who want to take Labour back to the 70s and 80s... and those like Ed Miliband who want to see us move increasingly towards an open party," said former Labour Cabinet minister John Reid in an interview with the BBC.

The row has galvanised the ruling Conservative party which, only weeks ago, had looked weakened by disagreements on Britain's membership of the European Union. A vote on the European Union on Friday won overwhelming Conservative support.

"While Ed Miliband has been struggling to gain control of a Labour Party that's busy tearing itself apart, Conservatives have voted to give the public a say on our future in Europe," said Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps.

Labour have led the Conservatives in the polls during an economic slump, but Miliband's personal ratings have been weaker than the prime minister's or those of Tony Blair, who won three elections for Labour.

(Editing by Matthew Tostevin)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/britains-labour-leader-seeks-limit-damage-union-row-143200191.html

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