Apologies to non MU members - I'm sure they will understand (GD)

From Hamish Birchall

For MU members - please circulate

Is the Licensing Act 2003 compatible with key MU aims, namely improving the
status and employment of members? The Act treats live music as a greater
threat than violence associated with televised football in bars. More gigs
than ever before will be caught up in licensing red tape.

If you remain concerned about this, and for the reasons above would oppose
MU funding of the Labour Party at present, but would perhaps support
political funding of individual Labour MPs if they back key MU aims, please
consider adding your signature to an online letter to the MU Executive
Committee and to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). The closing date for
signatures is 07 February 2005 - the date on which new style entertainment
licences become available: http://www.letter.ukart.com

There are other ways the MU could make political payments from its Political
Fund (keeping that fund is a legal requirement for political payments,
although not necessarily for all forms of lobbying).

The GMB union, which has about 700,000 members, was recently asked by Labour
for an additional £744,000 towards its general election campaign. The GMB
Executive declined, deciding instead that it would only consider funding
Labour MPs who 'share the GMB's aims and values'. Announcing this, GMB
General Secretary Kevin Curran made a statement concluding:


"The GMB is concerned that unless Labour brings about policies that can
re-energise Labour's core support and connect with Labour voters in the
heartlands that the Party's support will continue to erode and we will reach
a watershed moment in our relationship."
['Labour Party Funding - GMB Vote to give Party £0', GMB press release, 6
July 2004]
See: http://www.gmb.org.uk/press_office/display.asp?id=425]

MU members can, of course, use the MU's democratic processes to submit
motions opposing payments to any political Party, or even proposing
disaffiliation from Labour. But motions for the next MU Conference will not
be called until December 2004. And, even if the motions were accepted and
adopted by the relevant regional committee, the next MU Conference is not
until July 2005