Actors aim to oust New Labour from their union

A right-wing alliance of angry actors and entertainers is preparing to stage a coup against the ruling "New Labour" council in elections for their trade union, Equity.

Disgruntled members led by a television warm-up man, Dave Eager, are claiming that reforms initiated in the 1990s by Michael Cashman, the former EastEnders star who is now an MEP, and the actor Tony Robinson, who is a member of Labour's National Executive Committee, have politicised Equity to the disadvantage of ordinary performers.

They have founded "Members 4 Members" to lobby on behalf of election candidates for the ruling council and the presidency, which they believe should be independent of the present ruling elite.

Mr Eager, who also provides media training for the Conservative Party, said it was the "last opportunity" for ordinary members to get back control from the left-wing alliance known as the "representative conference group", or "rep con".

Mr Eager said: "Unless Equity members realise the importance of their vote, the result will be the New Labour rep con will have succeeded in transforming Equity from a professional association that just happens to be a trade union into an activists' trade union that just happens to be a professional association."

However, in one of the curiosities of the vote, which closes on 12 July, the "New Labour" candidate for the presidency is a former EastEnders actor, Harry Landis, who has publicly supported the Communist Party. Mr Landis's opponent is Sally Treble, an actor and singer who is supported by Members 4 Members and variety stars including Ken Dodd.

Despite the political allegiances, Mr Eager insisted his intentions were practical, not political, saying: "The one thing I have never done is mix politics with Equity." He said that, until 1994, the year when the representative conference group emerged, the union was run by a number of actors, including Nigel Davenport and John Barron, in a generally liberal/centre-right grouping that eschewed party politics. But the changes handed power to party political activists because the union was run with a branch structure that made it impossible for many working actors to get involved, he said.

Barbara Hyslop, another actor who is supporting Members 4 Members, said Tony Robinson and Michael Cashman had gone on to greater involvement in national and international politics. "My opinion is they used Equity as a stepping stone," she said.

The former Brookside actor John Burgess, a member of council in the rep con grouping, said he was baffled by the Member 4 Members campaign.

Equity has enjoyed successes on behalf of members in recent years, such as a deal winning British actors a share in the DVD, video and television sales of films they have appeared in, and a significant West End theatre pay rise. The union also joined a lobby on behalf of repertory theatres that won an extra £25m for regional theatre. Mr Burgess said: "I don't understand the concept of reclaiming the union for its members because the union has its members' interests completely at heart. It's unquestionably been a success story."

Another Equity member said changes to the union had been vital because the streamlined bureaucracy had, for example, helped to eliminate slanging matches that used to bring the union into disrepute. He added: "There are a group of people who are obstructionist and disruptive and hold everything up. I would go so far as to say they are reactionary."