Why is the Labour Party in bed with a RIGHT-wing thinktank?

130909unumreformLabour’s shadow ministers, including Stephen Timms (Employment) and Anne McGuire (Disabled People) seem to be in cahoots with right-wing thinktank Reform, according to information that has come to Vox Political.

The fact that members of the UK’s left-wing political party are working with such an organisation is frightening enough, but you should be prepared for that fear to turn into terror when we reveal that Reform is part-funded by the criminal American insurance giant Unum.

That’s right – Unum. The mob who have been influencing British policy on social security from behind the scenes since Peter Lilley invited them in, back in the 1990s. The mob who have been working to turn this country away from what was an excellent nationalised social security system and towards poorly-regulated private health insurance, in order to sell duff policies which offer very little likelihood of ever paying out.

What could possibly have possessed anyone involved with Labour to have anything to do with these corporate pirates?

“Unlike political parties, Reform and other think tanks can accept foreign funds… As a result, a number of foreign companies are now ‘Partners In Reform’ where an annual donation, which now stands at [just] £8,000, allows these companies [UNUM etc] to find representation in Britain’s policy hubs,” an OpenDemocracy report states.

“Reform uses the ‘charitable’ money donated to convene private policy conferences on Health, Education, Social Care, Criminal Justice and Policing, Armed Forces, Welfare and Public Reforms. Through this, the corporate-funded body appears to have gained a high degree of influence over a number of important debates that are central to Britain.”

One such conference was ‘A team effort: the role of employers in closing the protection gap’. Sponsored by Unum, the event on June 17 this year had, as one of its keynote speakers, Stephen Timms.

He shared the platform with Conservative Employment Minister Mark Hoban – yes, the very same Mark Hoban who can’t get his facts right on matters of law that his own policies have created – and Peter O’Donnell, chief executive of Unum UK.

It seems the event was advertised as Tory and Labour MPs acting in a team effort with an American insurance company, regarding “reform of the welfare state”.

Now, it seems Reform is planning to influence all three main political parties at their annual conferences.

Its event, ‘New thinking on the welfare state’, will be staged at the Labour conference by Anne McGuire. Attendance will be by invitation only – behind closed doors. And it is sponsored by the Association of British Insurers, which includes Unum among its members.

At the Liberal Democrat conference it will be staged by Steve Webb MP, and at the Conservative conference by the unelected Lord Freud.

Would anybody from Labour care to explain why the Party is in bed with organisations that have decimated the provision of social security, contributed to the deaths of many thousands of ill or disabled individuals, and that intend to con many more thousands of workers out of hard-earned and desperately needed cash in the future, with their inappropriate health insurance policies?

The people are entitled to know the facts.

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23 Comments

  1. Chocky September 9, 2013 at 12:23 pm - Reply

    I don’t know about McGuire but Stephen Timms, aka Lurch, was, is, and always has been a useless and spineless sack of sh*t. This is the man, along with the absolutely bloody awful Liam Byrne, that scumbucket Mark Hoban thanked personally for helping him to steer the Jobseekers Bill onto the statue book in double quick time, robbing unlawfully sanctioned benefit claimants of any hope of compensation.

    Why be surprised to discover that Timms is another one of UNUM’s bitches?

  2. jaynel62 September 9, 2013 at 12:35 pm - Reply

    I intend to ask my MP the Care Shadow Cabinet Minister – Liz Kendall this question; have already tweeted

    Totally Unacceptable

  3. Dawn Willis September 9, 2013 at 12:37 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on Dawn Willis .

  4. jeffrey davies (@jeffrey33333) September 9, 2013 at 12:48 pm - Reply

    Unum was a oulaw company in the states but bought its way back after using british government on how to kill more denial of services and so on but the labour since tony blair took over took labour to be little torys so no change there then eds inbed with them ,when asked about atos oh they doing good work speaks for itself no change there

  5. garyxxxg September 9, 2013 at 12:51 pm - Reply

    Has anybody from the Labour party admitted being even remotely interested in Unum?

    This Company as every one knows are criminals – Unum found guilty and many a class act brought against them in America and banned from several other countries for ill treating/representing the sick and disabled – a company trying to get into the British medical insurance game through the back door with help from shady MPs, government and Atos.
    People have died through this company’s corrupt policies, the same as Atos. This government have sold their souls to the highest bidder. Companies such as these should never be entertained by any government or country – their policies are crooked, flawed and cause death to many an ill/disabled person who then finds out they cannot claim a penny; all they are is a massive money-making machine with the owners’/shareholders’ interests at heart.
    Any party backing either of these corrupt companies which, in the case of Atos, are already costing the taxpayer £billions in costs and wrong or illegal examinations on the disabled, will lose thousands of votes in the next election and that is a true fact !!!!

  6. […] Labour's shadow ministers, including Stephen Timms (Employment) and Anne McGuire (Disabled People) seem to be in cahoots with right-wing thinktank Reform, according to information that has come to …  […]

  7. […] More at today’s Excellent Vox Political –  Why is the Labour Party in bed with a RIGHT-wing […]

  8. Thomas M September 9, 2013 at 2:48 pm - Reply

    Is the Labour Party still the Labour Party anymore?

    • Terry Jager September 9, 2013 at 6:40 pm - Reply

      NO it’s…….”New Labour” party now & has been since Tony Blair …absolutely nothing what so ever to do with the Labour party as it was pre 1975 .Sorry but people need to wake up to this !!

      • garyxxxg September 9, 2013 at 7:55 pm - Reply

        The Labour Party is the Labour Party – it cannot be anything else – new, old, modern, left, right or down the middle it’s still the Labour Party – And if it starts getting policy’s wrong or changing it’s direction then the voters need to speak up, hence the question is Labour in bed with Unum ? A very simple question deserves a very simple answer Yes or No ?????
        It’s when no answer is given that speaks the truth and if so it will lose Labour millions of votes.
        Unum one of the most corrupt insurance company’s on this planet with a horrendous, bad and untrustworthy reputation.
        Atos and Unum – these two corrupt company’s would kill off the remaining ill or disabled people along with the NHS – Cameron is half way there whoever backs Unum will finish the job.

  9. Editor September 9, 2013 at 3:09 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on kickingthecat.

  10. Tony Britton September 9, 2013 at 3:17 pm - Reply

    Thanks Mike, Great blog.It is highly disturbing that Unum are still lobbying for interference into our social security that we have already paid for with NI contributions. I mentioned the exact same two points on our ‘breakaway from the Graun’ political forum yesterday, along with a few relevant links regarding Unum/Atos/DWP connections for anyone who is still unaware – http://flythenest.freeforums.org/post34695.html#p34695
    I’m getting the feeling that the WCA is going to be around no matter who gets in after 2015, despite the lip service from Labour. The manifesto, if they ever get around to it, should be interesting.

  11. Andy (@NCCLols) September 9, 2013 at 7:30 pm - Reply

    Labour has been in bed with Unum for years. Big influence on designing ESA/WCA.

  12. joanna September 9, 2013 at 8:48 pm - Reply

    Unum were probably one of the insurance companies who sold policies in the second world war, to Jews, knowing they would never have to pay out, it is really really sick but this went on, on a huge scale!!!

  13. rainbowwarriorlizzie September 9, 2013 at 11:51 pm - Reply
  14. Mike Boulton September 10, 2013 at 10:27 am - Reply

    Why do the membership of the labour party support these policies?
    I left the Green party for far less. Unless a party stands for its stated beliefs the membership should act.

  15. casio 通販 September 12, 2013 at 9:54 am - Reply

    g shock

  16. Mike Boulton September 12, 2013 at 11:01 am - Reply

    Garryxxxa
    The Labour Party is not the Labour Party if is taken over by the hard right. It might be constitutionally the same but like a company which trades on its ethical principles ceases to be that company if it is taken over by Nestle or similar. It becomes a division of Nestle even though it trades under it’s old name and sells the same product range.

    Why anyone continues to support the Labour Party now defeats me. They are no different from the Tories.

    This begs the question is the Tory party the one we knew in the ’50s they have certainly moves to the right. They are certainly nastier than the one nation Tories.

    As for the Lib-dems — — —

  17. Paul Smyth September 13, 2013 at 2:28 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on The Greater Fool.

  18. johncresswellplant September 16, 2013 at 3:10 pm - Reply

    Reblogged this on johncresswellplant.

  19. […] Why is the Labour Party in bed with a RIGHT-wing thinktank? | Vox Political. […]

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