Visiting ASLEF's website today, looking for an explanation for their appalling deal with Heathrow Express, I stumbled across Keith's column, where General Secretary Keith Norman pens a truly awful piece pledging loyalty to Tony Blair and denouncing all those who want him to go.
This concept of 'loyalty' is the same loyalty that a dog shows to the master that repeatedly beats it. It's sad and painful to see.
Keith may have a teensy bit of a point about some of the Labour MPs who begged the PM to resign. I too was revolted by MPs who happily voted for war, privatisation etc for years, then started to wet their pants about losing their marginal seats and got the knives out.
But that is not what Keith is really getting at. He does not offer one single criticism of Blair. Not one. Not even of his refusal to renationalise the railway industry. Has Keith forgotten that New Labour's keeping the railway in the hands of privateers cost the lives of ASLEF members?! Whoops, sorry, can't mention that - "loyalty" forbids.
Genuine loyalty is a fine and honourable thing. Brother Norman should try loyalty to his members and to the working class, above loyalty to a Prime Minister who show contempt rather than loyalty to the class which elected him.
