WEU Condemns £165,000 Payout to NUM Leader

The Workers of England Union is appalled that subscriptions from NUM members totalling £165,000 were given to its leader so he could live a life of luxury.

Trade Union Regulator Reveals Massive Payments

MP Ian Lavery received £165,000 from the 10-member trade union he ran. We have learned this from the trade union regulator, which has now released a report into Mr Lavery’s actions as General Secretary of the NUM Northumberland Area.

He will now face questions on his record over a number of disputed payments by the union he ran. Mr Lavery, who is the Chairman of the Labour Party, denies any wrongdoing.

This raises serious concerns over whether he remains a fit and proper person to hold one of the highest offices in the party.

Key Figures and Political Implications

Ian Lavery is a rising power: Jeremy Corbyn’s general election joint co-ordinator and Chairman of the Labour Party. If the Conservatives fall, he’s most likely destined for high office. Yet his refusal to answer a simple question last year—“Did you pay off the mortgage?”—posed by BBC Newsnight remains unanswered. They asked him nine times without reply.

Is He Fit to Lead?

Now that the exact sum he received from the NUM trade union is public, it’s fair to ask whether this man is suitable to be Chairman of the Labour Party.

Lavery’s Response

“Under my stewardship, the union always complied with the rules and the Certification Officer signed off every year’s transactions. As the Certification Officer’s report makes clear, no member of the union, past or present, has made a complaint about the financial affairs of the union. I am pleased that the Certification Officer has decided not to appoint an inspector or take further action.

This report should draw a line under almost two years of allegations and innuendo directed at me and my former colleagues. Our legacy is helping miners and their families when others abandoned them, bringing millions of pounds of compensation into the Northumberland Coalfield. I remain immensely proud of our record.”

See Also

• Ian Lavery MP Received £165,000 from NUM Trade Union
• NUM Trade Union Payments Under Scrutiny