I am a pensioner member of Amicus, the Union which voted out Ken Jackson last week. I voted against Mr Jackson.

No trade union should form an alliance with any political party whatsoever. The union's purpose is to look after its members' interests no matter what government is in power.

No member of any union should accept any comic-opera title as did Mr Jackson from Tony Blair. In my opinion, Mr Jackson was given a knighthood not for what he did for our membership but for what he did not do.

"Whinger" Jackson was so shocked by the result of the ballot he complained of "irregularities". It will be good to see him further elevated to the "geriatric fishbowl" otherwise known as the House of Lords, where he can vegetate with the rest.

The vote by our membership shows the working class will not be silenced, as are the majority of Labour MPs, who are terrified of upsetting Mr Blair.

The people who have suffered during the past five years of New Labour - pensioners, nurses, council workers and so on - have the right to take any action necessary to better their standard of living. That is, of course, after following the right industrial procedures.

The following sayings come to mind over low pay: "Kick a dog continuously and one day it will bite you" and "Pay peanuts and you get Monkeys."

Finally, no, I am not a Tory. I am a socialist.

-Samuel Tuck, Montague Street, Brighton