He told a press conference that if elected he would call a summit of like-minded unions to start a fightback "to reclaim our party and put the labour back into the party." Such an initiative would be "the biggest co-ordinated challenge" ever undertaken to the current party leadership. "Tony Blair is so blind to what he has done, he cannot see the wood for the trees", said Woodley.
He went on to say that Blair and his leadership had "lost the support and confidence of working people in this country. It is our party and it has been hijacked." The unions needed "to discuss how to get Labour back representing working people." He said he was happy to be a member of the so-called awkward squad of union leaders because it was time to fight back against New Labour.
This call comes at a crucial time when other left general secretaries have come out with the same position, including Derek Simpson (Amicus), Billy Hayes (CWU), Mick Rix (ASLEF), Bob Crow (RMT), Andy Gilchrist (FBU) and Jeremy Dear (NUJ).
We welcome Tony Woodley's call. But it is now time to transform words into deeds. If the unions were to send in 50 members into every Constituency Labour Party, they could take it over. They could ensure the deselection of Blairite loyalists and put in their place those prepared to fight for union policy. As a first step, they should clear out all those so-called union representatives on the NEC of the Labour Party who have continually sided with the Blairites in defiance of union policies.
It is clear that the unions can defeat Blairism, which has only a shallow basis of support within the Labour Party. It is clear for all those who want to see that the time to reclaim the Labour Party is now! There has never been a better opportunity. Don't contract out - contract in! Since its formation, Socialist Appeal has consistently argued for this position as the only way forward. Those who think they should set up phantom armies outside of the Labour Party are barking up the wrong tree. Breaking links with Labour is "a rightwing agenda", said Woodley. That is absolutely true. Experience has shown that you have to fight inside the Labour Party to get anywhere. This must be linked up to the fight for socialist policies as the only answer to the problems of working people, including the renationalisation of all privatised industries, the repeal of all anti-union legislation and a minimum wage of not less that £8 per hour. It also means the restoration of Clause Four, the party's commitment to socialism, which was ditched by the Blairites in 1994.