IN ANSWER TO ANONYMOUS SLURS

In the past few days I have been on the receiving end of some fairly nasty posts from an "anonymous" person who makes the usual right-wing noises about "Trots" making trouble for the leadership. So let me absolutely clear about this. I would love to be extolling the virtues of Gordon Brown .I would love to be reporting how under his leadership the Govt has turned away from the failed politics of Blairism and turned back towards Labour values, shown solidarity with low-paid workers, curbed the excesses of the fat cats in the City, backed a Living Wage, Trade Union Freedom Bill etc etc.
Today, this nasty poster goes a step too far in saying my support for the unions' campaign for an EU referendum means I am lining up with the BNP and UKIP.Or, as he puts it so nicely "getting into bed with Nick Griffin."
As he knows full well ( or maybe he doesn't) where the Tories want a referendum to limit the influence of Brussels the TUC are looking to extend it.
Many unions see a referendum campaign as a way to exert pressure on the PM to sign up fully to the European charter of fundamental rights, which guards against employment abuses.
That's a move the government's always avoided because employers argue it would unfairly skew the labour market. Brown as we know is agreat fan of "flexibility." and global capitalism
Labour also went into the 2005 general election with a manifesto pledge to hold a referendum on the now scrapped European constitution. Once the EU resurrected large parts of the constitution in the form of a treaty, there were calls from opponents for the referendum pledge to be revived. Those opponents include Bob Crow from the RMT and Paul Kenny from the GMB. And their reasons are entirely honourable. Which is more than i can say for people who trawl the internet posting anonymous bile .Today, I hope the TUC backs the referendum calls.

.....AND LET'S HAVE A REFERENDUM ON THE EU

Reports suggest that Ministerial aides are hotfooting it to Brighton to try and persuade the trade union leaders to drop calls for a referendum on the EU constitution. The current state of play is that these pleas are falling ondeaf ears with a motion tabled for Wednesday. I hope the unions stand firm on this. The consensus ( to use one of Brown's favourite words) is that the British people were promised a vote . The Govt's current position is disingenuous. And they know it. What's more, after the many years of Blair spin and subterfuge, people simply aren't prepared to be hoodwinked. If Brown doesn't listen to the calls across the board for a referendum on the issue, he will live to regret it at the ballot box.
Check out www.iwantareferendum.com for more info.