Section1: Trade Unions & the Link

Can you tell us a little bit about your history in the Labour movement?

Before becoming an MP, I worked for more than 22 years for the trade union movement with ASTMS and MSF in many different roles – including sitting on the National Policy Forum – always fighting on behalf of working people and social justice. This showed me just how important it is to maintain a strong link between the Labour Party and the unions, and how crucial it is that union voices get heard where decisions are made.

In Government, I’ve always worked closely with unions and seen a close relationship between unions and policy makers as crucial. In the late 1990’s, I worked with David Blunkett to develop the Union Learning Fund at DfES, which now helps more than 100,000 people get the training they need each year.

Since becoming Secretary of State for International Development, I have set up the DFID-TUC forum to make sure union voices get heard on international issues; agreed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the TUC, worth more than £750,000 over four years, to help unions in Britain raise awareness about development, build links with unions in developing countries and help in our development work overseas; and introduced a new £100m fund to help build the capacity of civil society - including unions - in developing countries, to hold their governments to account.

In future, I hope we can do much more together.

How do you see the future of the relationship between the Labour Party and the unions?

It’s clear that many of the most important challenges facing the country can only be solved through a closer partnership with unions that reach out and embrace change – just think about the role of trade unions in meeting the challenges of improving skills, improving work-life balance, sustaining our public services and manufacturing, and ensuring that our pensions system is fair and fit for the 21st century.

That’s how I’ve always approached things, whether in the UK or internationally, and will continue to do so. But I think we could also build a more open, straightforward and constructive relationship too. There is a real public appetite for a more straightforward and open kind of politics in Britain today – a politics that gets on with it and gets things done – and I think we have to focus on this as we work together in future.

How do you think the Labour Party can help trade unions grow?

Our Labour Government has already helped with the union recognition law, the minimum wage, statutory holidays, paternity and maternity leave, and the Union Modernisation Fund. These are all examples of the right kind of partnership between us, and we should do more of it in future. But in the end, unions’ success won’t be down to government: just like the Labour Party, unions have to keep proving that they are relevant to modern life and to the needs of working people today. If the movement can do this, there is enormous potential for unions in the future.

In a speech I recently gave to Unions 21 on the future of trade unions (which you can read here) I pointed out that there are 2.8 million people in Britain not in a trade union or covered by collective bargaining, who said they wanted union representation or said they would be very likely to join a union if one were available. Similarly, there were 3.3 million people covered by a collective bargaining agreement who were not members of a union. That's a lot of potential members. And it's not hostility, or legislation, or lack or legislation that's stopping them joining. It's not being asked and persuaded to do so.

What are your thoughts on the Hayden Philips review into Party Funding?

Quite simply, the union link cannot and should not be broken. It’s scandalous that the Tories won’t accept caps on spending, because what we really need is for party money to be spent on training activists and developing policy, and not on an election bidding war.

What should the Labour Party/Labour Government do with contemporary motions that are passed at Labour Conference?

We have to look at these seriously, and treat them seriously. But I think there’s a bigger issue here about the need for a more open style of politics, in which we listen to each other. In the end we all know that Governments sometimes have to take difficult decisions. But we all want to be part of the discussion.

Party reform more broadly is an important part of this. That’s why I am committed to being a Deputy Leader that would reach out to our local parties, and help our local parties, trade unions and affiliated societies to reach out in return to the community.

We need to make membership more worthwhile. We all joined the party to change the world, not to change the minutes of the last meeting. The leadership needs to commit to listen more to parties, and to take consultation seriously. The Party Chair should be elected. And we should give more support to our constituency parties and unions to develop and debate policy, and to build links with other constituency parties. In government, we know months ahead what our priorities are likely to be – where the next white paper is likely to be and the issues it will cover. So let’s make sure we get this out to local parties early, and encourage local parties to ask local people what they want, creating a genuine, bottom-up way of making policy. Real leadership means bringing people with us, not handing down ready made prescriptions without notice or debate.

Section 2: The Warwick Agreement

What have you done to help implement Warwick?

This isn’t my area of direct responsibility, but as a Cabinet Minister I’ve backed Warwick, and as Secretary of State for International Development I’ve done a lot to promote unions: the DFID-TUC forum, DFID’s partnership with the TUC, and the Governance and Transparency Fund – worth more than £100m to civil society and unions around the world - are just three examples.

In your opinion, what is the most important policy in the Warwick Agreement?

I don’t think it’s really possible to pick out one that’s more important than the others – pensions, equality and time off for parents all matter enormously. What was most important was showing how unions and government can work together, and the difference this makes.

Our Party will have to think about the next manifesto soon - what issues would you like to see in the next ‘Warwick Agreement’?

I think it’s clear that now we’ve made the case on better and more equal pensions, work-life balance and greater equality, that hopefully we can go further on all these issues. But ultimately, it’s not up to one person. I think the Deputy Leader should listen to what people have to say, and we should decide together.

Section 3: Issues for Working People

What action would you take to improve protection for Agency and Temporary Workers?

This is something we’re looking at carefully – as promised in the Warwick agreement – so we can ensure fair treatment. We need equal protection that also helps sustain flexible employment for both workers and employers, as well as putting more money and effort into enforcement.

How would you ensure that women & men are treated equally in the workplace?

We clearly have a long way to go on this. At its heart, this is about culture and expectation: both of employers and employees. Having children still makes it really hard to balance work and family life, particularly for women. So we need to make the political argument for better childcare and parental support, and we need better information and more public campaigning about the pay gap and discrimination.

What are your views on the transfer of public services and staff to the private sector?

What I think is important is that people get the best public services they can, that we support and protect the public service ethos, and that we celebrate the contribution people make. We should ensure that where the private sector is involved in public services that they give the best possible service, uphold public service values and treat their staff fairly.

What are your views on the role and future of private equity firms?

Private equity can be good and it can be bad. The Financial Times recently said that in the 30 biggest private equity deals in 2003 and 2004, 36,000 new jobs were created. Where private equity creates jobs, that’s good. But it’s something we’re going to have to keep a close eye on in the future.

Pensions & training are a crucial element in the relationship between workers and employers. What role should trade unions play in negotiating the relationship?

A central and important one. Training is vital for our own job security and for the future success of the economy. And a strong economy will help us provide better pensions.

Everyone is entitled to fourteen weeks unpaid parental leave, but this is not much use to single parents or those on low wages. What action would you take to support those parents in most need?

Get negotiating!

Section 4: General Political Issues

How would you ensure the defence of the UK and what role would Trident play in it?

I support maintaining a nuclear deterrent because we live in a world that is now differently dangerous. But our foreign policy should be about dealing with injustice and standing up for the universal values of fairness, and being able to speak your mind, get an education, have a say in how you are governed, and live in peace. We need to reach out and embrace multilateralism. Above all, we need a strong UN that works.

Do you think academy schools and trust schools are the best way of improving UK education?

I’m a lifelong opponent of selection at 11 and a supporter of comprehensive education. But we should not be afraid to try new approaches so as to further raise standards, especially for the children from poor inner-city estates like the ones I represent in Leeds for whom education is the route out of poverty.

What more do you think the Labour Party should be doing to tackle the threat of parties such as the BNP?

By listening to the concerns people have about affordable housing and the pace of change, by standing firm against odious racism and by showing that our politics is about working with people to deal with the problems they face, and getting things done. We should also give people more control over decisions in their local areas: lots of this is about feeling powerless.

How do you think a Labour Government should tackle prejudice against immigrants and asylum seekers?

As the son of an immigrant, I think the best thing to do is give people the facts, show them how we operate the system fairly, and celebrate the contribution that those who have come to the country make to our economy and our communities. As Martin Luther King said we should judge people not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

What law would you most like the Labour Government to pass?

Extending flexible working to all employees would be a good start!

What parts of the European Social Model should the UK seek to emulate?

Rights guaranteed by law, strong trade unions, low levels of inequality and poverty, and an economy that creates jobs.

How would you assist the development of trade unions and workers rights in the developing world?

This is what I have been doing as Secretary of State for International Development, because strong trade unions are one of the ways in which poverty can be overcome.

What is your view on the 4th Option for council housing, as called for by the Labour Conference?

We need more affordable housing – it’s absolutely clear.

How can a commitment to the environment help working people?

In the end, we’ll all be affected by climate change, so it’s in all our interests to deal with it. And each of us has to play our part – government and people. We won’t do it by leaving it to someone else.

Read my statement on why trade union members should vote for me

Read my biography

Read my responses to the UnionsTogether Election Survey

View my UnionsTogether TV Interview