Unions lose out in snub to King

Only the second such individual to ever address this tribal gathering, Mr King said members were right to be angry about the recent conduct of the bailed-out banks, and their failure to ease the supply of credit. He also held out another olive branch to the unions about the belated need to tackle tax evasion.

Given that the TUC had made it abundantly clear that no Government Minister was welcome, Mr King was the most influential person to address delegates this week.

Many people, of course, have a right to be aggrieved about bank

bonuses – this concern is not just exclusive to the unions – and how the stringent nature of new lending practices is having a detrimental impact on businesses.

Yet it is difficult to see how this will be reconciled if the TUC

rejects the offer of bi-partisanship and, instead, embarks upon the programme of co-ordinated strike action inspired by those seeking Labour's leadership.

For the discourtesy shown to Mr King, and the nature of the verbal

abuse that has been hurled at uninvited Ministers, leaves the

impression that the trade unions simply do not want to take part in any meaningful discussions about the future of the public finances, and the record deficit bequeathed to the nation by the TUC's friends in the last Labour government.

They seem more content in undertaking nostalgic trips down memory lane and replaying the events of the 1970s when they held the country to ransom. History must not be allowed to repeat itself. For the best way for Britain to pull through these challenging times is by the

Government, unions and banks working together.