IT must be time for the Trades Union Congress annual conference because the B-word is back in the headlines.
“Union barons!” proclaimed the Mail, the Express and – bizarrely – the Independent this week in their coverage of the event.
Even the allegedly left-wing BBC employed the word on Monday to describe the TUC leaders.
I’m only aware of two other types of baron, and neither of them has much in common with the people debating composite motions in Brighton this week.
The first is the medieval baron, who gets his kicks out of riding round the parish on his horse terrifying the serfs and pillaging their food.
And then there is the drugs baron, who does much the same thing, except in a flashy car rather than a trusty steed.
Neither of them are particularly pleasant chaps and both have more in common with each other than they do with Brendan Barber (inset) , Frances O’Grady or Mark Serwotka.
The only thing that unites the three types of baron – medieval, narcotic and union – is that they all wield some sort of power.
But here’s the difference, and it really is a crucial one: a union baron can be toppled if enough serfs vote for someone else when Mr Scary Boss is up for re-election.
As a way of changing leader, it’s simple, peaceful and democratic.
Try asking either of the other types of baron when they plan to submit themselves to the will of the people and see how far you get.
