WE British set great store by the concepts of fairness, justice and equality. We are rightly proud of being the oldest parliamentary democracy in the world. This government’s current Trade Union Bill is the most serious of recent attacks they have carried out on these revered principles. 
Voter registration has already been made more difficult, a move likely to result in a large drop in Labour voters on the electoral roll. In addition, they are redrawing constituency boundaries to reduce the number of seats but, at the same time, creating more, safer Tory seats. Now, with this bill, they are attempting significantly to reduce trade union funding of the Labour Party. 
The Tories always suggest that there is something wrong with the Labour Party receiving money from the Trade Unions. Why? 
The unions played a huge part in setting up the party. The party’s natural constituency is those who are employed. Similarly, the natural constituency of the Tory party is those who possess wealth and those who employ. Unsurprisingly, these are the people who mainly fund them: companies, company directors, land-owners, hedge funds, millionaires. The Tories always have a bigger bank balance than Labour anyway, yet they see no contradiction in attacking Labour’s right to receive money from unions while holding out their begging bowl to the rich and powerful. 
What they are doing by all these technical measures is cementing their hold on power, ensuring that there will be no party able realistically to challenge them. Do people really want to see one-party rule in Britain? Do we really want to see Wiggin, Norman and Dunne in jobs for life? That is certainly the way we are heading. If only for the sake of democracy, this bill must not become law. 
MICHAEL GREEN 
Bridge Street Clun Craven Arms