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Re: Benn (#3)

Hardly wiseman. Given that Cruddas is being beaten by Johnson and is level with Harman on CLP nominations - it can hardly be seen as a 'Benn v. Cruddas' fight. I think that's wishful thinking on your part!

Re: Benn (#9)

But how are the union votes going to go? Cruddas has some of the biggest players backing him and enthusiastically propagandising the Cruddas cause.

Re: Benn (#12)

Oh I have no doubt that the unions will back Cruddas in droves! Which probably means, he'll do terribly in the membership and MP votes.

Re: Benn (#17)

Well, I'm not sure about that! You really do hate the unions don't you? Say what you like about our brothers and sisters in the unions, I think it reflects well on Cruddas that he is the only candidate whose campaign is being funded by union money as opposed to loans and donations from business friends. I hate to mention Tory scumbag Guido Fawkes but his latest blog entry is about where Comrade Benn is getting his money from...I suppose it is inevitable that these campaigns are going to be expensive and the money has to come from somewhere, but I don't like it. If all these candidates are so good at representing Labour's grassroots why don't they all have unions sponsoring them?

Re: Benn (#19)

But that's not true is it: Hazel Blears is getting backing - financial, as well as political - from USDAW. To claim that Cruddas is the only candidate being funded by union money is just wrong.

Re: Benn (#24)

That is of course true and credit to Hazel. And infact according to this report Peter Hain got some ASLEF money as well. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/15/nbrown415.xml So I should instead be claiming that the Cruddas campaign is the only one that seems to be wholly union financed...

Re: Benn (#25)

Why doesn't it let me edit my original post?! I don't want to get on the wrong side of the Blears!

Re: Benn (#26)

According to the Electoral Commission's register of donations, the 6 contenders got money from:

Benn: Mr Mark Paul McDonald, Mr Kevin D McGrath, Mr Gilad Hayeem and Lord Parry Mitchell

Blears: Wilkinson Star Ltd and Mrs Isabell Harrison

Cruddas: Amicus and TGWU

Harman: Ken Follett

Johnson: Dr Reg Race, Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, A A Care Homes, Lord David Sainsbury, MKM Building Supplies Ltd, Mr William Law, DMQA Holdings, Wykeland Group Ltd

Hain: Mr William Frederick Bottriell, Mr Christopher Campbell, Mr Robert Davies, Mr Terrence Albert Johnsey, Mr William W Dobbin, Mr Loughlin Hickey, Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen, Mr Jashu Shah, Mr David Williams, Mr Neville Allport

Re: Benn (#27)

No, I was only having a joke! I don't hate the unions, but I do think they tend to vote far further to the left than the ordinary membership would.

Re: Benn (#30)

The "ordinary" party membership voted for 4 leftwingers for the 6 constituency places on the NEC last August, JR.

Re: Benn (#15)

Good point. As far as the unions go, I can't see Hain, Blears or Harman doing very well at all.

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