Barry Reamsbottom has an amazing proposition for his union members. It is that he, who has never stood for election as general secretary, should - without another election - replace Mark Serwotka, who was elected general secretary by a handsome majority. It sounds like a grim satire on Stalin's Russia, but the real story is even more ridiculous.
In 1998, the two largest trade unions in the civil service came together to form the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the eighth biggest union in the country with 288,000 members. Barry Reamsbottom was then general secretary of one of them, the CPSA. He ran the merged union while arrangements were made to find a successor. He was keen to hold on to office for two years until he reached the union's agreed age for retirement, 55. But his executive recommended a ballot. This recommendation was put to a postal ballot of the entire membership. On a high poll, the ballot recommendation was supported by 62,296 to 2,766: a result even Mr Reamsbottom could see was decisive. A ballot was inevitable, and an election was set in motion. Mr Reamsbottom did not stand in it. On October 19 2000, he signed an agreement with the union. In it he agreed to "work with the successful candidate in the election" and give up his office on May 31 2002.

Soon afterwards there was a ballot to choose a new general secretary. Mark Serwotka, a relatively unknown rank-and-file civil servant, wrote in his election address: "I am a socialist, and I offer a radical change in the election - for a membership-led union which champions the interests of its members." His opponent was a full-time officer of the union, Hugh Lanning. There was a high poll, and the result, announced on December 6 2000, was: Serwotka 40,740, Lanning 33,942.

In the 18 months since then, the membership of the PCS has grown by 27,000. For all of last year and most of this, Serwotka and Reamsbottom shared the duties of general secretary. It seemed that everyone in the union, including Hugh Lanning, accepted the result of the general secretary election. Then, in April, there were fresh elections for the 46 members of the union executive. On lower polls than for the national officers (and much smaller majorities) a new executive was elected. The rightwing majority on the new executive was 24-22.

At once the subtle mind of Barry Reamsbottom began to change. As the date on which he had agreed to leave office grew nearer, he wondered whether, with a new executive, he could ignore the clear result of the election for general secretary and cling to office himself. He went to see an employment lawyer, Alan Pardoe QC, who gave him an "opinion" that the agreement he had signed in October 2000 was "null and void" - and so was the election won by Mark Serwotka.

This opinion is not based in any way on the suggestion that the ballot for general secretary was wrongly conducted, or the results concocted. No one has ever suggested such a thing. The opinion is based on a rather abstruse interpretation of the rules at the time the unions merged. As a result, Mr Reamsbottom announced to PCS members that he (not elected) would be carrying on as general secretary and that Mark Serwotka (elected) was out.

Despite its endorsement by the new executive, at a meeting so rowdy that no one could hear what was going on, the Reamsbottom edict has not been widely applauded in the union. Nothing annoys people more than arbitrary contempt from on high for carefully recorded votes in an election. A storm of protest has engulfed the union. Most of the workers at PCS head office are still taking orders from Mark Serwotka, and both sides go to court this week.

It seems beyond belief that the bizarre behaviour of Mr Reamsbottom could be endorsed by any democrat. But what is this, in the Sun newspaper of May 24 under the sensitive headline: "Union lefties KO'd"? "Tony Blair was said to be delighted when the news [of the Reamsbottom coup] reached Downing Street."

I asked the prime minister's office: 1. Did anyone in the office or representing the prime minister say anything to the Sun to suggest that he was delighted with the news from the PCS? Answer: "No, not that I am aware."

2. Was Mr Blair in fact "delighted" by the news from the PCS? Answer: "This is entirely a matter for the union."

Is the Sun lying? Or maybe the prime minister, at least secretly, rejoices when he hears that an elected leftwing trade union leader has been toppled in a coup by an unelected rightwing one. Either alternative is, I suppose, possible, if not likely.