RMT president Peter Pinkney gave a rousing tribute to former general secretary Bob Crow on Sunday night as he drew the battlelines for the union’s future.

In his opening address to conference Mr Pinkney acknowledged it has been a “traumatic year” for the RMT and said “Bob’s family must remain in the forefront of our minds.”

He said what the right-wing press did to Mr Crow was “absolutely scandalous.”