Cameron and the Unions

Well said, young man:

Conservative leader David Cameron has told the BBC trade unions "scented weakness" in the government's response to Unite's row with British Airways.

He said Gordon Brown failed to back non-strikers, although Mr Brown said he wanted "negotiation" to take place.

Of course, this weakness when it comes to dealing with the unions and failing to support those who do not wish to strike is not unique to Gordon Brown. It is something that happens during the course of every Labour government, and was particularly pronounced the last time Labour led the country toward the shit-heap under Jim Callaghan. The unions are in ascendance again because there is a Labour government in power - and the Labour party, of course, is more reliant than ever on funding from their most reliable sugar daddies; those within the Trade Union movement.

But it isn't just Labour Prime Ministers who have been shown to be weak in the face of union action. The same has been true of Tory Prime Ministers as well. In many ways, Thatcher was the exception, rather than the rule, and her battle against the NUM - as controversial as it was - was only successful for the government because her government knew the confrontation was coming, and prepared themselves for it.

Unions can break governments - witness the demise of Heath's administration. And there is no reason for thinking that the unions won't challenge Cameron as soon as/if he is elected. But he should relish that challenge - he should use it as an opportunity to show that he has teeth. Whether or not he has the fight in him remains open to debate - after all, thus far his time as leader of the Tories has shown him to be a man of compromise rather than confrontation, of consensus rather than clashes. However, I think this fight is going to come to him, whether he likes it or not. And he needs to start preparing right now if he is going to show himself in a different light to Brown's cowed compliance against resurgent unions.