Union Support for the SNP

Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor

The Telegraph

The leader of Labour’s largest trade union paymaster has warned it could start backing SNP candidates in Scotland unless Ed Miliband’s successor adopts his Left-wing policy agenda.

Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, said his union will consider several resolutions from Scottish members at special conference in July that would scrap the rule meaning they can only back Labour candidates.

He said most of his Scottish members voted SNP in the general election and warned the new leader’s “challenge” to retain his union’s exclusive support is to ensure that they are “the voice of organised labour”.

But the union boss was forced to reject an attack from Jim Murphy, the outgoing Scottish Labour leader, that it would be the “kiss of death” for Labour if it bowed to Mr McCluskey’s demands and he must not be allowed to influence the selection of the new leader.