Miliband and the unions: A fresh start?

By Ian Dunt

Ed Miliband's desire to change Labour's relationship with the unions will be put to the test this morning as he addresses the Unite conference in Brighton.

The opposition leader has long spoken of how he wants to change the poisonous relationship between the party leadership and unions.

Labour prime ministers have often been intent on going to Unite conferences in order to start a fight with the members and win favourable reviews in the right-wing press.

Extracts from his speech today suggest Miliband may not try to upset his financial backers and instead focus on pursuing companies failing to pay the minimum wage.

"Only seven companies have ever been prosecuted for not paying [the minimum wage]," Miliband will say.

"Is there anyone here who believes that only seven have broken the law?

"As we campaign for better wages for hard-working people, we need also to think about our labour market - about how it has become possible for some to be paid so poorly," he will add.

"Some recruitment agencies in this country specialise in employing migrant labour from Eastern Europe and effectively close their books to workers from Britain, so that they can bring in workers who are unorganised and unprotected.

"I want us to come together to fight exploitation and discrimination - of local workers as much as migrant workers - so we get decent labour standards in this country."

There are unconfirmed reports Miliband will launch a harsh attack on Barclay's boss Bob Diamond, following reports the bank attempted to manipulate the interbank lending rate Libor.

The Labour leader is expected to call for individuals to "take responsibility" and outline the wider systemic failings of the banking sector.

The extracts suggest the speech will be in line with union members' views, but Miliband could still face heckling when he addresses the hall, given recent shifts towards austerity politics and behind-the-scenes attempts to reduce the unions' political influence on the party.