Date: 25 June 2010
The shopworkers union Usdaw today announced they are backing David Miliband in the race for the Labour Party leadership.
John
Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary said:
'Usdaw is backing David
because we believe he is the best choice for our members, the best
choice for Labour and the best choice for Britain.
David is a long-time friend
of Usdaw and is someone who really understands the needs and
aspirations of our members. He supports our campaigns against
violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers and for the
extension of workplace rights to help working parents.
Usdaw's Executive Council
had an excellent debate about the merits of each candidate and
reached the decision that David Miliband is the best person to
stand up for working people and lead Labour from an effective
opposition to a Party ready to govern again.
The lay-members of Usdaw's
Executive Council are particularly impressed by the fact that David
emphasises the positive progress made during Labour's thirteen
years in office.
Our members have benefitted
greatly from measures like the National Minimum Wage, Tax Credits
to help make work pay and of course the massive improvements to our
health and education services.
While Usdaw will continue to
campaign for further improvements to help our members and their
families, we should remain proud of the achievements of the Labour
Government.
The Labour Party is blessed
with a very strong field of candidates for leader. That is a
position of strength that will enable the Party to rebuild and
provide an effective opposition to a Coalition Government that is
already taking measures that will hit our members hard.'
David
Miliband, Shadow Foreign Secretary said:
'I am honoured and delighted
to have secured the support of Usdaw, the UK's fourth biggest trade
union which represents hundreds of thousands of members in retail
and many other private sector trades and workplaces.
Usdaw is a modern, forward
looking union that campaigns on key issues of concern for their
members and is increasing its membership as a result.
Usdaw has always been a
leading voice in promoting rights and support for working families.
They worked closely with Labour in government to deliver tax
credits for working parents, extended paid maternity leave, the
introduction of paid paternity and adoptive leave and much more
besides.
I believe that a real test
of government is what is achieved for working parents and their
families. That is why it will be a priority for me to stand up to
the Coalition's attacks on working people.
The Tory-Lib Dem Budget is a
hammer blow to families and all workers. A price will be paid in
higher unemployment and lower living standards for the poorest and
those on middle incomes.
When they asked for your
vote at the last election, David Cameron and Nick Clegg said they
would reduce the deficit without hitting frontline services or
hurting the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. It is clear
they have already broken that promise.
I would tackle the deficit
differently and would make reducing unemployment a top priority. We
must oppose the Tories' decision to scrap Labour's job guarantee,
which provided work to the long term unemployed. The Tories are
making the same mistake they made in the 1980s, letting
unemployment devastate lives and communities because they still
believe this is a 'price worth paying'.
I would not increase VAT,
which is a regressive tax that hits the poorest hardest. And I
would not deprive working families of valuable tax credits, freeze
Child Benefit or scrap the Child Trust Fund.
I will fight the Tory-Lib
Dem cuts every inch of the way and pledge to work with Usdaw
members and all trade unionists against this regressive
government."
Usdaw is the first Trade
Union to announce which candidate they are backing in the Labour
leadership contest and they will ballot their members in
September.
Notes for
Editors:
- Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied
Workers) is the UK's fourth biggest trade union, with over 386,000
members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the
union also has many members in transport, distribution, food
manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
- The decision to nominate David Miliband for Labour Leader
was taken by the Union's National Executive Council at its meeting
held on Monday 21 June.
- Over 366,000 Usdaw members pay the Union's Political Levy
and will therefore be entitled to a vote in the Labour Leadership
election. Usdaw will ballot these members between 1 September and
22 September 2010.
- The result of the Labour Leadership election will be
declared at the Labour Party Leadership Conference on Saturday 25
September.
- In compliance with Labour Party rules, Usdaw will declare
the result of its ballot of members after the announcement by the
Labour Party on 25 September.