Union boss rips up Sun at Labour conference
Union chief Tony Woodley delights delegates at Labour conference by ripping up today's edition of the Sun on stage
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Wednesday, 30, Sep 2009 05:37
By Matthew Champion.
Union chief Tony Woodley delighted delegates at the Labour party conference by ripping up a copy of today's Sun while on stage.
The western world's largest daily officially switched allegiance from Labour to the Conservative party in today's edition.
Comment: Labour pays price for flying too close to the Sun
"Labour's Lost It" greeted everyone at the party conference in Brighton and the rest of the country from the Sun's front page today.
Taking to the stage to speak on an emergency resolution on the Royal Mail pension deficit, Unite joint general secretary Mr Woodley took matters into his own hands.
"We don't need some Australian-Americans coming over here and telling us how we should run our country," he said. "And this from a paper that has never supported a single progressive policy from our party including the minimum wage.
"In Liverpool we learned a long time ago what to do," Mr Woodley added before ripping the paper in two.
"And I suggest everyone else does the same."
Mr Woodley's actions received a standing ovation in the conference hall, as well as cheers and applause in the Labour press office and media centre.
Speaking this morning, the prime minister Gordon Brown shrugged off the impact of the Sun's decision.
"The British people will decide the election, not a newspaper," he said during a whirlwind tour of breakfast TV this morning.
"I think people really want newspapers to report news and they expect them to do so."