The Gazette group formerly the Engineering Gazette was the left organisation in the AEU and subsequently the AEEU. When Amicus was formed it joined with the Unity Left group from the MSF section. This is when the trouble started.
The Engineering Gazette had managed through its long existence to avoid any trot interference or sabotage. It had a strict structure of democratic centralism. The national forum was made up of two delegates from each regional forum, the chair and secretary and any members of the then full time executive. It was this group that organised the election of Davey Hall as President of the AEEU and later the election of Derek Simpson as GS.
Unity Left in MSF was the last hiding place of all the ultra left scoundrels. It had a much loser constitution with policy being made by a national forum which was a free for all. This allowed the trots to bus in their colleagues and the camp followers to vote for their line, a line which was always decided in advance by a small caucus of hard line trots. In MSF UL only succeeded in was making the left unappealing to sensible trade unionists and allowed the hard right to gain prominence in the MSF for Labour group.
This undisciplined approach to setting the group's line has unfortunately been adopted by the Amicus Unity Gazette group. The result has been an unseemly struggle for power at the top of the group, with the policy and the opinions of the group either being set by the trots or by the otherwise sensible activists under pressure from the trots. Recently the group called for the reinstatement of Heemskerk at el despite knowledge of their coup plot against Simpson. They have also decided to back John McDonnell for leader of the Labour Party even though he has no chance of getting the necessary nominations to get on the ballot paper. This will clearly show the weakness of the group and the union and it is no coincidence that the SWP are supporting John McDonnell.
Discipline in the Engineering Gazette used to be kept by the involvement of a strong officer contingent in the group. This group got picked off under Ken Jackson and now the Unity Gazette can only call on the support of a dozen or so officials. This is unlikely to change since under the influence of the trots UG has adopted an anti full time official stance. Also most officers are repelled by the involvement of the trots in the group.
Some officials attempted to create an alternative group for officers to get behind the Simpson project. It was brutally crushed by Simpson under pressure from some hysterics in the Gazette group again under pressure from the trots.
This error of judgement may account for the disastrous showing by the perfectly decent Chris Weldon in totally superfluous and divisive election for the Regional Secretary In Yorkshire. He lost to a member of Jackson's old guard. With no officers to assist in Weldon's campaign and the Gazette's wilful failure to understand the electorate, even in the area that was thought to be their stronghold, he was doomed from the start.
Despite their being no effectively organised opposotition UG managed to come second in one horse race. If Amicusttt was called upon to make a prediction about the future if the Unity Gazette remains fettered by the trots it would be this, right wing groups who have been dormant since Simpson's election may be encouraged to organise in time for the new NEC elections and the election for the next General Secretary. Joining the broad lefts from Amicus and the T&G together will not be enough to guard against this outcome since both organisations will only swell the body of the trots. Unless the trots are eradicated then the progressive project that Derek Simpson has begun will be hurled into the dustbin of history in just a few short years.
It would be better if the UG were prepared to embrace a wider left of centre group that would encompass a large proportion officers and mainstream members.