I WATCHED trade union leader Bob Crow at the TUC conference this week with dismay and a horrible sense of deja vu...

evoking the dark days of labour disputes in the Seventies, Crow’s angry message displayed all the political motivation and class envy typified by historical trade union militancy.

Advocating that conference members “down tools” with an obvious glee, he did not even have the common courtesy to listen to guest speaker Eddie George, governor of the Bank of England, walking out in a grand gesture. How typical and how ugly.

Of course, the country is bitter about the role played by financial services in the recession, and there is genuine concern about the prospective budget cuts on public services.

However, trade union militancy at a time of fragile economic recovery could result in an economic disaster. Let’s have strong but responsible union leaders standing up to dinosaurs like Crow whose day is, and should be, long gone.

John Crick, Bishop Auckland.