Prescott quits RMT union

John Prescott has quit the union of which he has been a member for nearly 50 years in a tit-for-tat row after being told to sign policy demands from the RMT's leadership.

He was one of a number of MPs stripped of union funding after being informed he was not acting on behalf of the "working people" within the union. Mr Prescott hit back today saying he had always "championed" the rights of working people.

Mr Prescott said he was convinced the actions of the union - which has moved to the Left with the election of Bob Crow as leader - would "undermine" the traditional links between the trade unions and the Labour Party.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who in the past has emphasised his union membership, said the decision to leave was a "personal and very sad day for me".

At the RMT's annual party conference this week Mr Prescott and 12 other MPs, including Commons leader Robin Cook, had union funding worth £44,000 withdrawn from their local constituencies because they had refused to back union campaigns - mainly calls for the renationalisation of the railways and opposition to the part-privatisation of the Tube.

There was harsh and personal criticism of Mr Prescott who was accused of "betrayal" in not demanding the renationalisation of the railways, as Labour had promised when in opposition. The union also slashed its annual funding to the main party coffers from £112,000 a year to £20,000 with a warning that even that might be axed.

The union has switched its support to a 14-strong group of Left-wing MPs including Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn and Ann Cryer.