Prescott's momentous move

Prescott has fallen out with his own union

By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

John Prescott's decision to quit the union he has been a member of for almost half a century is a hugely symbolic move.

It doesn't quite match Labour's dumping of the "socialist" Clause Four of its constitution - but it's pretty close.

Despite what Gordon Brown might sometimes want people to believe, Mr Prescott is the last, authentic, dyed-in-the-wool trades unionist on the Labour front bench.

Crow's demand backfired

The fact that he feels he has no alternative than to leave the RMT over its loyalty oath is a momentous decision - and the policy may have backfired on Bob Crow.

Tony Blair will no doubt be delighted. He has spent much of his career as leader desperately trying to weaken the link between the unions and New Labour.

Election cash

Stephen Byers, in an early pre-1997 election gaffe, famously told a lunch of political journalists that his boss wanted to sever the link.

He later denied it, of course. But it was true.

An early Byers gaffe

"Fairness not favours" has been the prime minister's motto - leading a growing number in the union movement to think they, in turn, should stop doing him the favour of bankrolling him.

But the prime minister knows he is onto a winner on that one. Realistically, there is nowhere else for the unions to go, particularly when it comes to financing election campaigns.

Meanwhile, he continues to seek large donations from big business and individual party members.

And a move to state funding, seen as highly likely in the wake of recent donor rows, will further help weaken the dependency on the unions.

But all the prime minister's attempts to finally switch off the automatic thought association between Labour and the unions are as nothing compared to this.

New party

Mr Crow is not alone amongst union leaders in reminding the Labour party who created it and pointing out that working people are under-represented in parliament.

They believe it is their party and that it has been hijacked by Tony Blair and the "enterists" of the New Labour Party.

They think they have an absolute right to demand that their MPs reflect their policies in parliament.

Mr Blair, on the other hand, is absolutely convinced that it was precisely that sort of attitude which helped keep Labour out of power for two decades.

And he is quite happy with the idea that his is a new party.

Mr Crow and the RMT may well find they now have more loyal and vocal advocates in the new band of MPs they are financing, but in adopting this strategy they have only succeeded in helping Tony Blair. And they have alienated a true friend.

Face facts

The union may not have intended to suggest that "their" MPs should speak for them first and their constituents second, but that is how the policy will be portrayed.

Its policy is also undoubtedly born out of frustration, if not downright anger, at the current state of the Labour Party.

Last of the union men

And there are those inside the movement arguing they should finally face facts and abandon New Labour altogether.

That was once unthinkable, but there is a calculation here about exactly what the unions get for their money and loyalty. It is no doubt the same calculation made by business donors.

The minimum wage and new union laws spring immediately to mind, but many would argue that is the least they could have expected from a Labour government.

This is a row that will continue to rumble through the party conference season in the autumn.

Meanwhile, John Prescott may suddenly find himself facing a hike in the rent on his RMT-owned flat.