text: Unite baron Len McCluskey has boasted that trade unions ‘own’ the Labour party and its policies. ‘The Labour Party is our party. We built it, to serve us’, he declared and went on to say: ‘These are our policies…they are now within our grasp.’ The boast comes only 24 hours after Alex Salmond bragged that he would be writing Labour’s budget. The arrogant claim by the former Scottish first minister, who is running as an SNP candidate, was featured on the front page of yesterday’s Mail. Unite boss Len McCluskey, pictured, boasted that the trade union movement 'owns' the Labour Party . The intervention of Mr McCluskey, so soon after Mr Salmond’s mocking remarks, is another humiliation for Ed Miliband. It comes in a foreword to Unite’s magazine. Mr McCluskey urges his members to ‘take back our country’ and ‘restore decency, dignity and justice’. He says: ‘The Labour party is our party. We built it, to serve us, the people. Never forget, the rich and powerful have their party, the Tories. And Ukip is no friend – they are frauds, charlatans who will roll back every advance won by working people. ‘One May 7, we can vote for a government that will build homes, give our kids hope, save our NHS and attack the evil of zero hours, hire and fire working. ‘These are our policies. These are the changes that you have been fighting for these five long years. They are now within our grasp.’ He goes on to warn: ‘Do not for a moment forget this: should Cameron and his cronies win on May 7, they will change our nation forever – but not for better. ‘Cuts that will take us back to the darkest days of the 1930s. Attacks on unions will place us in chains so we cannot defend you, our members.’ The article is Mr McCluskey’s first major intervention in the election campaign. Trade unions gave Labour £737,948 out of the £1.1million the party raised this week – the second week of the election campaign. This is the equivalent of £1.22 every second from trade union. Unite gave £112,000 according to official figures published by the Electoral Commission. But this was dwarfed by health workers’ union Unison’s £311,875 and the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers’ £300,481. However, last week Unite gave Labour £1million and has provided £14.4million since Mr Miliband won the Labour leadership. He was a surprise victor in the 2010 leadership election thanks largely to the support of the unions. The Labour leader was even serenaded by Unite’s brass band at a rally in Yorkshire yesterday. Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman, right, is a fully paid up member of the Unite trade union . Other Unite members looking for a seat in cabinet are Andy Burnham, pictured, and Chuka Umunna . Reflecting Unite’s own programme, the party plans to ban zero hours contracts, impose rent controls, raise the minimum wage, scrap job tribunal fees and part-renationalise the railways. Earlier this week it emerged that more than half of Labour candidates in winnable seats are sponsored by Unite. Unite has also called on Labour to restore the 50p top rate of tax, ditch the so-called bedroom tax, or spare room subsidy, end all austerity measures and increase borrowing. Mr McCluskey, a former dock worker who has clawed himself up to the top of the super-union, threatened to axe funding to Labour unless it adopted his socialist policies. Of the 106 target constituencies, Unite has endorsed or partly bankrolled 54 of the contenders. Harriet Harman, Andy Burnham and former banker Chuka Umunna are paid up members of Unite. Labour also received a £300,000 boost from Allamhouse Limited, a company owned by Egyptian tycoon Aseem Allam, who is worth a reputed £300million. Mr Allam, owner of the premier Hull City football club, said he was ‘not necessarily’ voting Labour but had donated to the party to reduce its reliance on the trade unions. He said: ‘I like Ed Miliband, he is an honest politician. He means every word he says. I just don’t like what the words he is saying.’ He added that politicians, in particular Labour, ‘should stop talking about the gap between rich and poor. If the gap becomes too small then you will have communism. The only way to lift the standard of living is to create more rich people. Otherwise you make everybody poor.’ He recently praised David Cameron and said the Conservatives had the ‘best’ economic plan. A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘We are grateful to all those who donate to the Labour Party. He added: ‘Unlike the Conservatives who increasingly rely on the money of hedge funds and an exclusive group of super rich donors… Labour is proud to be supported by millions of teachers, nurses, builders, plumbers, supermarket workers and many others.’ The Conservatives received money from 17 donors, of which 14 were individuals – accounting for £460,000 of the £492,512. Among them was Brevan Howard Asset Management hedge fund founder Christopher Rokos, who gave £170,000.
target: Unite boss Len McCluskey told members that Unions created Labour .
  He urged members to 'take back our country' and 'bring back decency'
  Last week his union pumped a further £1 million into the Labour Party .
  More than half of Labour candidates in winnable seats are backed by Unite .