Lifted from Labour Union Digest -

Come clean Willie - how many more Tory MPs have their snouts in BA’s trough?

Thursday, 18 March 2010 10:47
Unite has demanded that BA comes clean about how many Tory MPs the company has "bought" after it was revealed that the Tory MP who viciously attacked BA cabin crew in the Commons this week may have had up to £15,000 in free flights from the airline in recent years. While cabin crew are fighting to defend their jobs and terms and conditions from BA's slash and burn management techniques, Mark Pritchard, Tory MP for The Wrekin, laid into them on the floor of the House. But, in a clear breach of parliamentary protocol he did not once declare his expensive gifts from BA to the Commons as he spoke.
In recent years Mark Pritchard has regularly enjoyed flight upgrades on his frequent Washington trips, up from economy plus to business class. On one occasion BA's generosity extended to include Mr Pritchard's wife, who was also granted an upgrade to business class. BA business class flights to Washington cost over £2,000 single. Unite estimates then, that in the past few years Mr Pritchard has benefited to the tune of £15,000 in flights - more than a cabin crew member at Gatwick earns in a year.
Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said: "This is extraordinary hypocrisy from the Tories - their union-baiting charge is being led by someone with his snout
in BA's trough. "This Tory was happy enough to sip champagne in business class and be cared for by the BA cabin crew - but now he launches this disgraceful attack on them today. "Willie Walsh should come clean on how many MPs he's bought - and MPs and the speaker of the House of Commons should demand to know why Mark Pritchard kept his BA kick-backs secret." The full record of Mark Pritchard's BA freebies can be seen at http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=11946

... and no doubt Mr. Walsh would like to see a Conservative government in power, so provoking union action at this time is a good move.
But what do Mandelson and the craven Brown get from this? They pay court to the right wing press and in return get kicked in the teeth - no more than they deserve. I wonder if the careerists who manage UNITE will be asking for their members' 11 million quid back.