Union link not for sale

Asseem Allam, millionaire owner of Hull City AFC, wants to completely sever the link between Labour and the organisations that founded the party—trade unions.

As the Sunday Times reported on March 15, Allam said he would offer a future one-off donation to Labour if it weakened its trade union ties, and pledged an additional ÂŁ500,000 on the absurd condition that Unite withdraws its funding to the sole party representing working people.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey argued that Allam has failed to understand the ethos shared by both trade unions and Labour.

“Asseem Allam seems to want to replace Unite, but support for Labour is about values far more than money,” he said.

“Will Allam pay the £1.5m annual affiliation fee that underpins the day-to-day running of the party? Will he match the £3m donated by Unite members to the Labour Party’s election campaign? Will he put in the hours to pound the streets, deliver the leaflets and man the polling booths as our members will? A Labour Party victory will not be won on the back of one-off donations from fair-weather supporters,” McCluskey added.

“It comes as no surprise to me that Assem Allam is trying to use his money to weaken the historic link between the union movement and the Labour Party,” he continued. “As any fan of Hull City will tell you, Allam is no stranger to changing the very identity of a century old institution for the sake of furthering his own fortunes and personal vanity.”

Indeed, at the helm of Hull City AFC, Allam “rebranded” the 111-year-old club to Hull Tigers, amidst overwhelming community and fan opposition, arguing that it would enhance the club’s global appeal (business-speak for generating more revenue).

While the Football Association Council refused Allam’s bid to officially change the name in 2014, the Council said yesterday (March 16) that it would allow Allam to appeal the decision. Allam has said that he will no longer invest in the club if the name is not changed – a clear indicator that for Allam, money means absolute control.

McCluskey emphasised that support for Labour meant support for certain values–values that Allam, in his business dealings, clearly has not held.

“If Allam truly wishes to support Labour, he should lead by example and adopt our values by paying his staff at Hull City a living wage,” he said.

A report from Citizens UK in December 2013 found that the lowest paid workers at Hull City earned the statutory minimum wage of £6.31 at the time, whereas Allam’s net worth was £650,000.