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Trade unions are vital to Labour - and to all citizens
Labour is weakening the union link and the Tories are attacking the right to strike on the Tube. But defending the role of unions is defending democracy itself, argues JEREMY CORBYN

Labour's NEC voted to endorse Ed Miliband's changes to Labour Party structure, reducing trade union influence and removing the special status of MPs in leadership elections except where nominations for the leadership are concerned.

Only two NEC members, Dennis Skinner and Christine Shawcroft, voted against the changes.

The background to this dramatic structural change in the party has been the twin effects of the long term pressure of new Labour and the right to completely break the union link, alongside an absurd panic over the Falkirk selection process where there was much media criticism of the involvement of Unite.

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