What are you doing you scabs https://twitter.com/itvpeston/status/1273373997477101568

Exactly this. When you listen to what Phillips actually says, she's criticising the government for not having stuff in place to get children safely back to school. Today's Mirror is similar.

https://twitter.com/fascismdad/status/1273481141215875072?s=21 https://twitter.com/fascismdad/status/1273481141215875072

BUT what Labour and presumably the Mirror are absolutely terrified of is being seen to support the unions. This was the case for years, of course, but Christ what a ruinous strategy to return to in the present political moment.

This is a historical moment during which more people have joined unions, and many might gradually realise neither their employer nor the government give a fuck about them. This is precisely the moment at which Labour/the Mirror should be doing all they can to legitimate unions.

Mutual aid groups have sprung up all over the country ffs- people have demonstrated a desire for collaboration that has transcended all kinds of differences, and felt their collective power asserting itself.

Corbyn wasn't really accused of being "in the pocket of the unions", perhaps because he was clearly to the left of most union leaderships, but perhaps because unions aren't really relevant enough to be a credible attack line.

It was probably only used against Ed because being (relatively and temporarily) well-supported by the unions was the only signpost to any sort of left wing leanings he might have had, along with who his dad was.

It certainly wasn't what lost him the 2015 election, especially considering he spent five years picking fights with them and thumbing his nose at them.

Given that one of the biggest problems for unions these days is that many people don't actually know what they are, I'm not sure how much cut-through old fashioned union bashing can be now, except for with people who are unlikely to vote Labour anyway.

But then 'people who are unlikely to vote Labour anyway' seems to be Starmer's target demographic.

If Starmer was really that worried about union bashing, he shouldn't have got into bed with Unison.

The Labour Party should be doing everything in its power to help rehabilitate the social movement that started it, and without which progressive change never happens.