Labour threatens to end ties to RMT The Labour party has threatened to axe its links with one of the unions which helped found the party, after some branches decided to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist party.

Five branches of the railway workers union the RMT in Scotland, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, have already broken with Labour to support Tommy Sheridan's party, in protest at Tony Blair's policies on the railways and support for privatisation.

But now the RMT executive has also backed the move, prompting Labour to write to the union threatening formal disaffiliation.

The union has been reducing its financial support to Labour over the past few years in protest at the party's refusal to renationalise the railways, and now only gives the party £12,500 a year.

In a letter to the union from Chris Lennie, Labour's deputy general secretary, the union was told that the SSP was opposed to the Labour party.

"The decision of the executive to approve the application of five branches of the RMT to affiliate to the Scottish Socialist party and any decision to approve the affiliation of the Scottish regional council to the same party, constitutes a fundamental breach of the rules and the essential nature of your affiliation to this party and amounts to a repudiation of the RMT's affiliation to this party.

"The RMT has placed itself outside the constitution of this party. Unless the decisions regarding affiliation to the Scottish Socialist party are immediately revoked, the matter will be reported to the National Executive Committee at the earliest opportunity with a recommendation that the RMT be treated as disaffiliated from this party forthwith."

RMT general secretary Bob Crow - a leftwinger who has clashed with the prime minister on several issues - said his union's annual meeting had agreed last year that branches should be free to support organisations and campaigns that follow the union's policy objectives.

"The Labour party is now saying that there is a constitutional conflict and the matter can only be resolved by the union's supreme governing body," he said.

RMT branches in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Motherwell have already affiliated to the SSP and further requests have been received from a number of other Scottish branches. The special meeting will be held in Glasgow on February 6 to discuss the union's next move. The Guardian

RAIL REBELS FACE LABOUR AXE Daily Record

Labour threat to expel RMT over Scottish Socialists link The union is to consider whether all of its Scottish region should forge links with the SSP. The Independent

Labour warns rail union on SSP link The Scotsman

RMT to break Labour ties unless SSP decision overturned The Herald