PMQs: The 8 Times David Cameron Mentioned Len McCluskey Or Unite

PMQs: The 8 Times David Cameron Mentioned Len McCluskey Or Unite

David Cameron bounced in to prime minister's questions on Wednesday prepared to rip in to Ed Miliband over the Labour Party's links to (and trouble with) its biggest donor, the Unite union - and the prime minister really hammered the point home.

Labour is currently engaged in a battle with Unite after it put the Falkirk Party in "special measures" following allegations the union abused the process that will choose the constituency's next MP.

In total Cameron crowbarred - sometimes more expertly than others - Unite, and its outspoken general secretary Len McCluskey, into a total of eight answers.

1) Cameron to Miliband:

"His questions are written by Len McCluskey of Unite".

2) Cameron to Miliband:

"Taking his script from the trade unions, they don't like choice, they don't like new schools, they don't like free schools. They want to control everything. What we know is one organisation they have got control of, we see it in black and white, they've taken control of the Labour Party."

"The Rt Hon Gentleman goes up and down the country speaking for Len McCluskey... I know you're paid to shout by Unite but calm down a bit. Too weak to stand up to the Unite union, too weak to run Labour and certainly too weak to run the country."

3) Cameron to Miliband:

"But frankly we have a situation in this country where we have one of our political parties it's become apparent votes are being bought ... all done by the man Len McClusky who gave him his job."

4) Cameron to Stephen Timms (about food banks):

"I'm sure as a member of Unite the Hon Member will want to look very carefully at his own Labour Party ... who knows how many people they've bought."

5) Cameron to John Cryer (about the rights for share scheme):

"It hasn't been praised by Len McCluskey and the Unite union and of course he is a member of the Unite union so he has to stick to their script."

6) Cameron on the Rotary Club:

"They certainly don't go round hoovering up members by making single payments from trade unions in order to buy influence."

7) Cameron to Thomas Doherty (on the Green Deal):

"Sorry I missed he too receives sponsorship from the Unite union. Oh, you don't? I suspect he ought to go to his constituency records and check they [Labour members] are all still alive."

8) Cameron on the Work Programme:

"While the Unite union and all the Unite members opposite might not want to hear this and while it not be part of Len McCluskey's script, this programme is twice as good as the flexible New Deal."

After half an hour John Bercow appeared to have had enough of hearing McCluskey's name and told Tory MP Richard Drax his helpful question about Unite was a "complete waste of time".

Miliband used the first of his questions to make serious points about the unrest in Egypt, perhaps in an attempt to limit the scope for Cameron to attack him over Unite. However it also restricted the time he had to hit back.

The Labour leader did make one retort however.

"Let's have a debate about ethics," Miliband said. "This is a prime minister who had dinners for donors in Downing Street, a tax cut to his Christmas card list and he brought Andy Coulson into the heart of Downing Street. The idea he is lecturing us about ethics takes double standards to a whole new level."

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