http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30747185

I don't think much of the average union these days, but the Tories pretending this is about the taxpayer can fcuk right off. Heaven forbid you'd ask for something approaching a living wage for your work*, while politicians pretty much set their own pay. Oh, and working conditions tend to be a fcuksight better in Westminster too, with one hell of a 'pension' compared to the average union member.

* We're talking nurses and teachers here, amongst others.

We all know they'd happily outlaw strikes altogether if they could get away with it. It will be amusing comparing the list they will describe as 'core' public services whose workers will be restricted from striking with the list of public services they've cut the funding of due to 'austerity'.

Jon

I just keep coming back to the issue of imposing a turnout standard on unions that politicians aren't willing to accept themselves in elections.

This is also true. If they had to live under the rules they plan to impose, they wouldn't be there to make them...

Make the same rules for them - I think somewhere did an analysis and said less than 50 MP's would be in parliment if they had this rule

The truth of the matter is they aren't probably actually planning to impose these restrictions at all. And in fact they probably couldn't, as they'd almost certainly be subject to legal challenge under european employment relegations. However the fact they are saying they are going to will play well with a certain part of the electorate i.e. that part of the electorate that still thinks our industrial relations are still in the 1970's with mass union walkouts and flying pickets and what have you - i.e. conservative voters.

It's shabby electioneering, basically.

this one of the reasons i want another coalition
i don’t care which coalition con/lab/lib/ukip/greens/other

as long as it upsets the apple cart and god i want the apple cart not just upset but completely overturned ...