As the district officer for the AEEU engineering union in Plymouth, Bill Goffin was one of those fighting the privatisation in the 1980s.

BBC: Cornwall remembers Margaret Thatcher

The regional secretary of the AEEU said the union would work "positively" with the task force while also seeking to minimise the number of redundancies.

BBC: News Online

Mr Morgan complained that the full weight of the government had swung behind his rival, who he said had more to lose from the AEEU vote.

BBC: Union backs Welsh secretary

Danny Carrigan, the Scottish Regional Secretary of the engineering union, the AEEU, said he was pleased that Mr Blair had intervened and he was hopeful it would help.

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Sir Ken reached the normal retirement age of 65 this year but wanted to stay in his post until the end of 2004 to oversee the merger between the AEEU, and the MSF.

BBC: Tony Blair, left, Derek Simpson, and Ken Jackson, right