LORD ADONIS yesterday became the first Cabinet Minister to speak out against the trade union behind the British Airways strike, accusing it of “threatening the future” of the airline.To the fury of Unite, the Secretary of State for Transport described the seven days of walkouts planned this month by thousands of cabin crew as “deplorable” and “totally unjustified”. The minister, a moderate Blairite, became the first senior member of the Labour government to break ranks and blame the union – one of the party’s biggest financial backers – for the industrial action.He immediately faced an angry reaction from Unite, whose political director, Charlie Whelan, is a close ally and former spokesman of Gordon Brown. Mr Whelan was recently identified as one of Downing Street’s “forces of hell” who briefed against anyone who dared oppose Mr Brown.Union officials were said to be “livid” at Lord Adonis’s “uninformed” and “blundering” intervention. They contacted Downing Street to insist ministers should not blame them for the industrial action, which could affect 500,000 BA passengers.The row highlights the close relationship between Labour and Unite — the union has donated £11million to the party in the past three years.Mr Whelan has begun working closely with the Prime Minister and the Labour Party in the run-up to the election Source Daily Telegraph15/03/10
