Political

Long before the creation of the Labour Party, there was pressure for trade unions to have a political voice for their members but this did not really get off the ground until the 1900s.

The Labour Representation Committee - effectively what is now the Parliamentary Labour Party - was formed in 1906 under the leadership of Keir Hardie and many of its members were trade union MPs. But its membership was small compared to the two dominant parties, the Liberals, who were then in government with a colossal majority under Henry Campbell-Bannerman, and the Conservatives who has suffered a crushing defeat that year under the strikingly ineffectual leadership of AJ Balfour.

The Labour Party formed it's first government in 1924, but then as now the trade unions have been the backbone of the party. Without trade unionism, the Labour Party would not exist.

The group of Labour MPs remained small until shortly before the first world war when the mining MPs, who were more than 40 strong, switched their affiliation from the Liberals to Labour.

In my experience, most Labour MPs come from trade union backgrounds and are very much pro-union but there are elements within the Labour leadership who need to be reminded that trade unions are not a political weakness but are Labour's greatest strength.

ASLEF has a small but active group of Labour MPs who have put down questions and parliamentary motions and attended lobbies and meetings organised by the union. They include the former Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson, the Defence Secretary, John Reid, Mick Clapham, John McDonnell, Kali Mountford, Alan Simpson, Ann Cryer, Ian Davidson and Kelvin Hopkins.

This gives us a voice in parliament and it means that campaigns, such as the Freight on Rail campaign, are brought to the attention of both Whitehall and the House of Commons.

ASLEF Parliamentary Group

The ASLEF Parliamentary Group is made up of MP's that support ASLEF's policies. The group meet approximately every 2 months or as and when required. Those who usually attend the meeting from ASLEF are the General Secretary, National Organiser, President of the Executive Committee, and the Political Advisor.

TULO

TULO, the Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation was originally set up in 1994 following a motion to the Labour Party's Annual Conference. There are currently 18 Trade Unions affiliated to the Labour Party at National level.

TULO co-ordinates Trade Union support for the Labour Party at elections and also acts as a channel of communication between the Part and the Unions. For more information about TULO visit their website