The Labour-led Assembly Government has given over £2million of public money to Labour-donating trade unions, Welsh Conservatives claimed today.
Correspondence to Paul Davies AM, Deputy Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly, revealed that £2.4million of public funds have been given to trade unions, which have made substantial donations to the Labour Party as well as Carwyn Jones’ leadership bid.
Unison, which has received over £1million from the taxpayer since 2008, made a donation of £3,065 to Carwyn Jones’ leadership campaign, while another union in receipt of public money, the GMB, made donations totalling £14,197 to Peter Hain’s failed deputy leadership bid.
In total, the Welsh Government gave £2.4million to 15 trade unions over the past three years, including £225,000 to the union Community, which earlier this year bolstered Labour’s Assembly election campaign by making donations to marginal constituencies including Cardiff North.
Ministers claim two of the primary purposes of the funding are to ‘build the capacity of trade unions’ and ‘improve policy making processes’.
Paul Davies AM, who is also Shadow Finance Minister, warned Ministers that they could be open to accusations of using public money to feather their own party’s nest.
Paul Davies said, “While we welcome union funding to offer learning opportunities to improve skills in the workforce, we need reassurances that taxpayers’ money is not being used to top up the unions’ coffers.
“In a welcome age where greater transparency is demanded of our politicians, authorities and media, voters will be alarmed to see the Welsh Labour Government handing such vast sums of public money to Labour-donating unions.
“The amount of public money given to trade unions has increased by 78% in two years, while the Labour Party has become increasingly reliant on union funding.
“Given that the Labour Party has received 87% of its funding from the unions so far this year, it is concerning that the Welsh Labour Government appears to be bolstering the unions’ coffers from the public purse.
“Carwyn Jones and Peter Hain need to explain why trade unions, which made such generous donations to their respective leadership campaigns have received massive increases in their level of public funding over the past three years.
“In times of austerity, when Welsh Ministers have acknowledged public money is scarce, taxpayers across Wales will be concerned to see millions of pounds of their hard-earned cash are being handed to trade unions without assurances of public benefit.
“As families across Wales tighten their belts to make ends meet, Welsh Labour Ministers must show they are prioritising their budgets to stimulate growth in our economy and improve the delivery of public services.
“Giving substantial sums of taxpayers’ money to party political donors serves only to undermine people’s trust in politicians and weaken their faith in Welsh Labour Ministers to act in the Welsh national interest.”
