Welcome to the Roger and Derek show

They are the Punch and Judy of the trade union movement.

Roger Lyons and Derek Simpson, joint general secretaries of the super-union Amicus, are already scrapping over a string of sausages. And Mr Simpson, who ousted Blair favourite Sir Ken Jackson to lead the AEEU branch of the union, has not yet officially donned his stripy costume.

In separate interviews with The Independent on Sunday this week, Mr Simpson, who takes the reins early next year, and Mr Lyons revealed the fault lines in their thinking, which could render one of the most cohesive political machines a comic sideshow.

On relations with government, Mr Lyons said Amicus remained proud of its connections with 110 Labour MPs, including around 20 ministers and five cabinet ministers. "Amicus is very close to government. We don't see any problem in that..."

Yet Mr Simpson – who quipped he'd sue if The Independent on Sunday didn't use the correct terminology and refer to him as a "former communist" – said: "I would be perceived as Old Labour and therefore to the left of the present administration, and I would expect that it is a reasonably accurate position. I can understand my predecessor [Sir Ken Jackson] was almost a rubber stamp for anything seemingly that Tony Blair wanted to do.

"He could always rely on Jackson within the trade union movement to carry the Blair/Government line. I will not be in that position. I won't be a taken-for-granted vote or a rubber stamp."

The euro also appears to divide the pair. Mr Lyons said: "We are worried about manufacturing and the crisis of losing 10,000 quality jobs a month, particularly as a result of high interest rates and exclusion from the euro... Manufacturing knows it needs eurozone membership."

Mr Simpson, who has refused a meeting with the Prime Minister at this week's Trade Union Congress in Blackpool, said : "I am aware there is a school of thought that says that membership of the euro assists companies and would be beneficial in terms of employment. However, I have to say that benefiting companies is not necessarily the same as protecting defending jobs.

"If it was true that jobs would be assisted by membership of the euro, there would be a very good reason for being pro-euro but that has got to be balanced against the political implications of loss of sovereignty on areas of the economy that do affect employment and livelihoods."

The one thing they do seem to agree on – which should be of some comfort to Mr Blair – is the need to continue giving financial backing to the Labour Party.

But before the rousing chorus of "that's the way to do it", spare a thought for Sir Ken Jackson. While Punch and Judy fight it out, for him the coming week is little more than the last night at the end of the pier show.