Olympic outrage
EVEN though more could, and should, have been done to enable the regions to prosper from the London Olympics, this sporting celebration is still a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase Britain to the world. That will not happen, however, if the trade unions heed the call of Len McCluskey, the belligerent general secretary of Unite, to disrupt the Games because of the Government’s cuts to the public sector.
A grievance that will mean little to many competitors, overseas visitors or the global TV audience, it will send out the message that Britain is closed to potential investors. As this country becomes the world’s laughing stock, the consequence will be longer unemployment queues.
Yet Mr McCluskey’s own goal is an embarrassment to Ed Miliband. Unite is the Labour Party’s biggest single donor and its intervention is, frankly, indicative of the Opposition leader’s failure to set out an alternative to the Coalition’s approach. It’s time that the Doncaster MP picked up this particular baton before his leadership is stopped in its tracks by Mr McCluskey’s irresponsibility.