by Jonathan Roberts
It was early in 2006 when I first joined Unite the Union (or Amicus, as it was then known). I was active in my constituency Labour party, was running a blog and was ambitious to learn, grow and participate as fully as I could.
Soon afterwards I was encouraged to attend a residential course run by Unite to ‘educate’ those they felt may one day become a politician – as mad as the idea of my participation now sounds. The surroundings seemed a little odd for a trade union HQ. The huge mansion in Esher (“modelled on a French Chateau” as the Unite website describes it) was set amidst acres of sprawling Surrey countryside, slap bang in the middle of the banker belt. It was so posh I swear it took me a week to shower off the smell of quinoa. I don’t say that disparagingly – I’d love to live somewhere just like it.
It was a fascinating experience. It started with a debate with German trade unionists, and moved through mock Newsnight-style grillings, writing and delivering a speech bestowing the virtues of the Labour-Union link and concluding with an interview conducted by two Labour MPs who questioned me on my ‘labourness’.
Everyone was very nice to me. And as I was the youngest in attendance, I was genuinely grateful for the experience, not least because it prepared me for the unexpected media attention given to Thirsk and Malton at the general election in 2010, for which I was the candidate.
It was a few years later that I first publicly criticised union behaviour. I was promptly told off by one of my fellow Esher students – didn’t I remember that a union had put me up in a mansion? I should show some gratitude and toe the line.
That was the beginning of a journey that concluded last night when I resigned from Unite.
