The fight of our lives

As Unite announces a further ÂŁ1m donation to the Labour Party, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey explains why this is the right thing to do.

Unite said that it would not stand by and see a one-side election fight against a Tory party made fat on the gifts from the shady and the super-wealthy, and we are keeping to that promise.

 
David Cameron has shown that he is utterly clueless about the troubles that his government have caused for the good people of this country.

People working hard but only just getting by, or forced to the foodbank when the wages won’t stretch.

People desperate to see a doctor but waiting weeks for an appointment.

Kids denied a chance to use their talents stuck in dead-end work.

It is terrifying to think of what five years of Tory government could do to their hopes.

 
This is a fight for the poor and vulnerable.

A fight for everyone squeezed by the crisis and the cuts, and for everyone who believes that Britain has gone badly wrong, and who wants to live in a fairer country.

 
Support for Labour is not just us doing our duty to democracy and ensuring the political playing field is not tilted too far in favour of the rich and their Party. We also know that that if the Tories buy a new lease on power, life will be for the people we serve will become very much harder.

 
So, while the Tories hoover up millions from shadowy dinner clubs and vulture fund financiers, this money from Unite members is clean, democratically-sanctioned and honestly accounted for.

It’s the pennies of working people given in the hope of building a better world that we can all enjoy, not the ill-gotten gains of a secret elite.

 
There can be no doubt that Labour’s commitments will make a huge difference to the ordinary people of these islands. They will provide a platform for tackling the crippling inequalities in our society.

 
That’s why Unite is getting behind a Labour victory in May. We will not stand aside from this battle – because we are now facing the fight of our lives.

• This piece first appeared in the Mirror.