Unions exist to stir things up, and often their leaders suffer from delusions of omnipotence. Not so Paul Mackney, general secretary of lecturers' union Natfhe, who gave guests at a House of Commons party last week to celebrate the union's centenary a surprisingly honest glimpse into his world. He toasted his union's biggest victory last year - being narrowly defeated by the Government on top-up fees - before reflecting that this was the story of Natfhe's life: losing by a hair's breadth, but losing nonetheless.