The GMB - which normally gives £750,000 to help Labour fight elections - will only back MPs and candidates who support the union's policies.

The move follows the Fire Brigade Union's decision to sever Labour ties.

A Labour spokesman said: "Any decision on a union's political fund is a matter for that union."

The spokesman stressed that unions had recently upped their affiliation fees and party funds were in a £2.6m operating surplus last year.

Working people's support?

He added: "Labour candidates will fight on a manifesto agreed by the Labour Party.

"We believe that a government which has created two million extra jobs, introduced the first ever national minimum wage and is busy improving the country's schools and hospitals deserves the support of working people."

There has been growing disquiet in the union movement over a number of issues including the war with Iraq, the role of private finance in the public sector and pensions.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union has been thrown out of Labour for deciding to back other parties.


[Notes from re-poster:
- RMT were kicked out of Labour for respecting the democratic decision of some of their Scottish branches to back the SSP,
- FBU have disaffiliated from Labour following the strike (during which Labour Ministers called striking firefighters 'fascists'),
- PCS have voted to set up a political fund but not to fund Labour from it,
- There is a continuing debate in the CWU whose post workers section voted to cut funding but were narrowly outvoted by the telecoms workers section,
- And in fact there is, in every union except possibly Amicus, a debate over whether to continue funding Labour, the key issue for most being whether there is a viable alternative that could be supported without letting the Tories back in...

GMB:  http://www.gmb.org.uk
RMT:  http://www.rmt.org.uk
FBU:  http://www.fbu.org.uk
PCS:  http://www.pcs.org.uk
CWU:  http://www.cwu.org.uk