Oh Danny boy...

Youthful Liberal Democrat wunderkind Danny Alexander clearly visits from a parallel universe, judging by what he has to say to the BBC today! 

Danny boy claims that union leaders want a strike which isn’t in the interests of union members, and that’s why the good old Government will try and talk directly to the workers, rather than those pesky leaders (like rabid militant Dave Prentis who has wantonly promised to keep essential “life and limb” services going on a strike day…)

This nonsense is clearly part of a public relations campaign which was also the entire purpose of the “improved offer” on pensions earlier this week (which wasn’t improved in any significant way and doesn’t alter anything about the pensions dispute).

The rebuttal unit at UNISON HQ is going to be kept busy – and in particular we need to develop a clear and persuasive response to the question “why are will still striking if the Government have made an improved offer?” (to which of course the answer is that they haven’t really, but we need to work it up in a bit more detail).

Mind you, if Danny Alexander wants to talk directly to ordinary UNISON members I’ll be happy to arrange it for him…