TUC as confused on the national question as ever

Contributing to that defeat was the TUC's decision not to support the RMT motion and the comments made by Unite delegate Elaine Jones, who reportedly said: "We need to avoid the poison of nationalism."

I can't believe Bob Crow guilty of "the poison of nationalism" but I can believe he may have called for national independence - something entirely different.

Either Elaine Jones either does not understand what patriotism or national independence is or she is deliberately propagating one of the myths Bob was trying to kill. Fanatical nationalism is one thing and patriotism quite another.

The recent Olympic Games made quite clear what patriotism is, when millions of British people showed they were proud of the successes of our athletes in the Games. Or is this "poison of nationalism?"

Furthermore, what were the TUC delegates talking about most of the time if not opposition to attacks on the British working class by the Con/Dem government and a future for Britain.

Should the delegates have spent all their time talking about "internationalism" in order not to be accused of poisonous nationalism?

TUC lack of support for the RMT motion stems from its acceptance of the EU Social Charter offered by Jacque Delors (then president of the EU Commission) to the 1988 congress because it was easier than fighting Thatcher.

Today, the TUC continues to support EU membership even though it is pursuing an open anti-working class policy of forcing down working-class living standards and conditions of work all over the EU to "solve" the debt crisis.

Don't be fooled!

Ron Dorman
Birmingham