AS a long-time Labour Party member I was disappointed to read your report that Ed Miliband's spokesman had accused Len McCluskey, pictured, general-secretary of the Unite trade union, of "disloyalty to the party" ("Miliband blasts Unite leader", The Herald, April 25).
The reverse is the case; he is arguing for the future of Labour as a party which, as its name implies, will represent the interests of working people and their families and should ditch the disastrous neo-liberal policies of New Labour and drop those on the front bench still advocating them. He has just been re-elected by Unite members on a manifesto advocating this and this also represents the views of most grass-root party members.
There is also an issue of double standards in the response to Mr McCluskey's advice. There has been no condemnation of recent statements by Tony Blair and Lord (John) Reid, neither elected, interfering in policy and warning Ed Miliband to toe the New Labour line.
Bob Thomson,
Past chairman/treasurer, Scottish Labour Party,
741 Shields Road,
Glasgow.
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