PM CAMERON told the Andrew Marr Show yesterday that what was interesting about Unite leader McCluskey’s proposals on the new anti-trade union bill ‘is the trade unions accepting that these thresholds are right – that you shouldn’t have damaging strikes that close schools or shut hospitals or stop underground systems working. You shouldn’t have those things without a proper turnout of voters.’
‘So what’s the problem with modern electronic voting?’ asked Marr. Cameron said: ‘Well I think the Speaker of the House of Commons did actually put together a commission to look at electronic voting and the conclusion of that commission was that it wasn’t safe from fraud, so I think there are problems with that approach. And frankly if you’re going . . .’
Marr interjected: ‘Are you prepared to talk to Len McCluskey about this?’ Cameron began: ‘Look I have the TUC . . .’ Marr pressed him: ‘You’ve never met him?’ Cameron continued: ‘ . . . the TUC do come into my office from time to time and I’ve had meetings with them, so I’m always happy to talk to people about things.’
Marr went on to ask: ‘What about making everybody wear an armband and making them give two weeks’ notice to the government of everything they’re going to say on Facebook and social media? That seems a little bit, if I may say so, vindictive.’ Cameron replied: ‘Well all these measures in the legislation can be discussed as they go through parliament. The heart of the legislation is thresholds, so that you can’t have strikes that are based on a ballot sometimes years before the actual strike takes place based on very low turnouts. That’s the heart of the bill. That’s what’s being proposed. A lot of the other stuff you read frankly is not actually in the bill.’
Cameron also told the Andrew Marr Show that cuts to in-work tax credits will go ahead, and were ‘part of wider reforms that would leave people better off’. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the prime minister pledged to significantly beef up the UK’s Special Forces and double the number of British drones with an updated model called Protectors, for more air strikes against jihadists on Syria and Iraq.
He claimed he can get the ‘consensus’ needed to launch military strikes on Syria. Cameron said: ‘I think it’s the right thing to do. I think it may well become possible but you know we will continue doing what we’re doing until it does.’ He insisted that Putin’s decision to start conducting military strikes in Syria will not stop British drones conducting missions in the country. Senior Tories have told The Sunday Telegraph that groups of Labour MPs have started approaching Tory ministers to tell them they will support air strikes.
