Ballot sees political fund’s retention

Members of the Prospect managers and specialists’ union have kicked off a round of union political fund ballots with resounding support for their union’s political fund.

The law requires unions to ballot their members every 10 years on whether to keep the fund, irrespective of whether they affiliate to the Labour Party. Prospect is not a Labour affiliate.

In total 91% of members voting in the ballot said “yes” to retaining Prospect’s fund in a turnout of 38%. Significantly, the vote was far more positive for the fund than it had been a decade ago, when just over 50% voted in favour. Then 21,537 members voted in support compared with almost double that — 40,400 — in 2013.

General secretary Mike Clancy said the vote “sends a clear message” about how its members feel about the erosion of their living standards and work rights, the attack on their pensions and their job insecurity.

He added: “I believe members are saying they want us to use the political fund to raise their concerns on these issues. I hope politicians will take note of the scale of this result in a trade union that is not militant and not affiliated to any political party.”

General union Unite — Britain’s largest union and Labour’s largest affiliate — is balloting its members on the political fund this month.