Nick Ireland – Usdaw Divisional Officer says: “We understand that there are pressures within the Labour Party to move towards a one member one vote system, however we believe that this fails to recognise the place of the Labour Party in the wider Labour Movement.
“The electoral college acknowledges that we are a movement of key stakeholders: Party members, affiliated organisations and elected representatives. Under the current electoral system each of those sections of our Movement has an equal say in who leads us.
“The trade unions founded the Labour Party to speak on behalf of working people and give our members a voice in the political institutions that affect their lives. Trade unions are not just a part of Labour’s past, we play a crucial and active role in party’s future, so it is only right that our members get a say in choosing the leader.”
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with around 430,000 members. Membership has increased by more than 28% over the decade. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter
@UsdawUnion