TSSA executive broke union rules by supporting Brown

Leaders of the TSSA rail staffs union admit breaching union rules by supporting Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership last year, but insist they did so “in the interests of members”.

The union’s annual conference passed a motion saying that its executive committee (EC) failed to uphold the rulebook by supporting Brown and also Peter Hain in the deputy leadership campaign, despite their lack of support for rail nationalisation.

Moving the motion, Anglia delegate Malcolm Wallace said the previous year’s conference had resolved that the TSSA would “not give its supporting nomination to any candidate who will not support the Labour Party policy of bringing the railway industry back into public ownership”.

TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty actually asked conference to support the motion, saying that the EC was aware it was in breach of rule.

However, he argued that the EC had done the right thing, as the leadership race had effectively been pre-decided. “It gave its supporting nomination to the incoming prime minister.”