Now Cook quits RMT in protest

Robin Cook has become the latest high-profile Labour politician to resign from the RMT union in protest at its decision to withdraw funding from his constituency party.

The Leader of the Commons has joined Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in leaving after

the union pledged financial support only to those MPs prepared to campaign for RMT policies.

More than 27 years after he joined the union, Mr Cook said: "I am going to resign from the RMT. I say that with a heavy heart. I think the way John Prescott has been treated is particularly unfair."

Mr Cook said he could not be restricted to unionapproved views. "I'm not going to sign up to a separate manifesto to that of the Labour Party or a specific set of commitments which limits my freedom in the House," he said.

Mr Prescott recently attacked the RMT's new hard-Left leader, Bob Crow, saying the union had "changed fundamentally".

Problems are also looming with Labour's biggest affiliated union, Unison.