Cameron declines invitation to address Congress delegates

Union bodies campaigning against an invitation to David Cameron to address the annual Trades Union Congress next month have expressed delight at the prime minister’s decision to decline the offer.

The TUC general council had incurred the wrath of two of its own regional executive committees, as well as a number of unions and trades councils, by issuing the invitation.

The North West TUC executive passed a motion expressing its “outrage” at the decision, saying Cameron’s government had “put the massive financial debt, caused by the banking system, on the backs of the working people of Britain with massive expenditure cuts in both the public and private sectors and the welfare state”. The South West TUC executive passed a similar motion.

The RMT transport union, whose members initiated the motions, began a campaign of opposition to the invite among rank and file trade unionists.

However, the TUC confirmed last month that Cameron had turned down the invitation but that Lib Dem business secretary Vince Cable had accepted the offer in his place.

Steve Gough, general secretary of prison officers’ union the POAUK, told the Morning Star newspaper that sending Cable was the lesser of two evils, but was further evidence that the Lib Dems were doing the Tories’ dirty work.

He added: “I don’t think Mr Cable is at all comfortable with what is going on around him and I believe he is being used.”