by René Lavanchy

UNIONS have turned the screws on the near-bankrupt Labour Party this week by moving to redirect their political funding, as Gordon Brown faces calls for more union-friendly legislation.

Two major Labour-affiliated unions – the GMB and the Communication Workers Union – decided to cut off funding to MPs who did not support their aims at their conferences this week.

And while both unions voted to remain within the party, GMB general secretary Paul Kenny hinted at a possible cut in the affiliation fee paid to Labour centrally.

Speaking to delegates, he said: “We are going to consider our affiliation levels to ensure they represent the realistic level of support within the union for the party.” The party gave £926,000 to party headquarters last year.

The GMB has named six Labour MPs – including junior Foreign Office minister Meg Munn and party vice-chair Stephen Ladyman – whose constituencies will lose funding before the next general election. Officials say there are 24 more “withering on the vine” because they oppose policies such as council housing, agency workers’ rights and fairer taxation.

Unite, Britain’s biggest trade union, is already cutting the number of constituencies it funds, in what officials insist is a non-political rationalisation move.

A Unite official told Tribune: “We pay our dues, we pay our affiliations and we argue our case. We don’t really mix the two. We want to see the Labour Party succeed.”

Unison’s conference in Bournemouth next week is expected to vote on holding a review into the union’s political fund. General secretary Dave Prentis and others are expected to attack Government policy but call for the Labour link to be preserved.