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CAMPAIGN BRIEFING
YOUR PARTY YOUR VOICE
Your Party Your Voice is a campaign by Unite the Union to ask members to be a part of the union’s collective affiliation to the Labour Party and to sign up as affiliated supporters of the Party. This document sets out the background to the campaign, answers some questions about the changes to the Labour Party affiliation, and explains the ways in which members can sign up. Background In 2014, a Special Labour Party Conference was held to agree changes to the way that affiliates (mostly unions) affiliate to the Labour Party. A new process for affiliating to the Party was agreed so that in the future, the level of affiliation will be based only on the number of members who have agreed to their subs being used for this purpose. This means that Unite now needs to ask members to support the union’s affiliation to Labour. Members don’t need to make any additional contribution to be included in the affiliation and as in the past, you will not be affiliated by name, but just included in the total collective affiliation. In 2019, 5 years after the changes came into effect, the highest level that Unite can affiliate will be the number of members who have agreed to the affiliation. As part of the same process, a new status of membership of the Labour Party was established. This is called ‘affiliated supporter’ and is open to members of affiliated organisations who pay the political levy. Being an affiliated supporter does not mean that members must agree with every single policy of the Labour Party, but just agree with the aims and values of the Party and not be a member of any organisation opposed to it (e.g. another political party). Affiliated supporter is effectively a level below full party membership. Members who sign up to this get a number of rights, including the ability to vote in elections for Leader/deputy Leader of the national Labour Party, in Scotland for Leader/deputy leader of Scottish Labour and in London to select the Mayoral candidate. They can also attend local party meetings and have a say in policy. Again, being an affiliated supporter is completely free. The union wants to make a success of the changes. It is an opportunity for members to take a role in the Party and in line with Unite’s political strategy, that can only be a good thing.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is the difference between being in the collective affiliation and being an affiliated supporter? Being in the collective affiliation is about your support for the union campaigning for your policies in the Labour Party. You are not affiliated by name, but just included in the number the union affiliates. As a step up from this, affiliated supporters are individually affiliated to the Labour Party and get certain rights for this. They are both free to political levy paying members. Does it cost anything? Both being a part of the affiliation and being an affiliated supporter are free to Unite members who pay the political levy. Do you save money from your subscription by not signing up? No. Signing up is free and you don’t save money by not signing up. What is the difference between the affiliation to the Labour Party and the political fund? The political fund is the pot of money used for political activity. By law, any political activity has to be funded from this pot. This includes any campaigns against government policy such as TUC marches or campaigns against the bedroom tax, government policy on zero hours contracts, against the privatisation of public services like the NHS, and much more beside. The union’s affiliation to the Labour Party also comes from this pot. At present the affiliation to the Labour Party counts for 17% of a political levy payer’s contribution. I voted in the last Labour leadership election, will I get in any future leadership elections? No. The change means that only signed-up affiliated supporters get a vote, but that vote will now be worth the same a full Party member’s or an MP’s. What questions am I being asked?
1. Do you agree to be included in the union’s affiliation to the Labour Party? 2. Do you want to sign up as an affiliated supporter?
Do I have to do anything after I’ve signed up? No. You are not required to attend any meetings or participate in any activity. If you sign up as an affiliated supporter you will be kept informed of upcoming events in your area by Unite’s regional political officer and by the Labour Party, but you will not be required to do anything. It is fine for members to sign-up just as an act of support for the union and the Labour Party. Why should I sign up? Being a part of Unite’s affiliation and being an affiliated supporter are completely free to Unite members paying the political levy. You will not be required to take part in any meetings or other activity unless you want to, but as an affiliated supporter you will get to choose future leaders of the Labour Party and Mayoral candidates in London. If you are a Labour supporter it should be a natural step to take.
I am not a Labour voter, but I agree with the union fighting for policies within Labour, can I agree to the affiliation? Yes. To be an affiliated supporter you need to agree with the aims and values of the Labour Party and not be a member of any organisation opposed to it, but to be included in the affiliation you don’t need to make any statement of support. Will my details be given to the Labour Party? If you only want to be included in the affiliation, then none of your details will be shared. If you sign up as an affiliated supporter, only your contact details will be shared. Will I get added to a mailing list and be hassled? If you sign up as an affiliated supporter, the Labour Party may email you, but only with things they think are important to you. You can easily unsubscribe from emails if you want, and will still get to vote in leadership elections. I’m already in the Party, should I sign up? The change to the way that unions affiliate to the Labour Party is intended to make the link more transparent and active. It is one indication of how engaged union members are in the Labour Party and how much support there is. Both Unite and the Labour Party want to make the new arrangement work, so we are encouraging all those who support the Labour Party – including members – to sign up to the affiliation and to become affiliated supporters. In future leadership elections Party members who are also affiliated supporters will only receive one ballot paper.
SIGNING UP There are various ways that members can sign up and reps can run campaigns with their members. All members signing up need to give their email address if they have one. ONLINE Go to www.unitetheunion.org/yourpartyyourvoice to fill in the online form – it takes 30 seconds. FORMS Forms are available for members who don’t have access to the internet or for reps who want to ask their members to sign up. Contact your regional office officer. SIGN-UP SHEET A sign-up sheet is available for reps who are organising in their workplace. These can be printed from the website www.unitetheunion.org/yourpartyyourvoice. Alternatively, contact your regional office or call 0207 611 2607 to request sign-up sheets. BRANCH SECRETARIES PORTAL Branch secretaries can record that members have signed up for the collective affiliation or as affiliated supporters. The fields are in members’ profiles in the portlet called ‘political’ (with the constituency names in it). If you need more information contact your regional IT coordinator at your regional office. WORKPLACE PORTAL A new website has been developed for reps to amend members’ details. The Your Party Your Voice questions are there so that workplace reps can record conversations they have had with their members and record when members have signed up. If you would like access, contact your regional political officer. Regional Political Officers
East Midlands Tony Tinley [email protected] 01332 548400
East of England Richard Gates [email protected] 01582 726122
London Danny Freeman [email protected] 0208 8004281
North East Mike Routledge [email protected] 01642 242314
North West Alison Spencer-Scragg
0151 559 2042
Scotland Jackson Cullinane [email protected] 01292 264477
South East Ian Woodland [email protected] 02380 637373
South West Steve Attwill [email protected] 01202 294333
Wales Hannah Blythyn [email protected] 02920 022767
West Midlands Andy Taylor [email protected] 01902 271153
Yorkshire & Humber Mark Fieldhouse [email protected] 0113 236 4830
