STORY
Unite the Union, one of the UK’s largest and most influential trade unions, has dramatically suspended the membership of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. The decision, taken today at the union’s policy conference in Brighton, stems from her perceived failure to intervene effectively in the ongoing Birmingham bin strike and her backing of the Labour-run city council. The move comes as Unite grapples with its own internal challenges, including a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) probe into a controversial hotel complex in Birmingham, which has links to allegations of financial wrongdoing in Liverpool.
The emergency motion, overwhelmingly passed by 800 delegates, condemned Birmingham City Council and the Labour government for their handling of the bin workers’ dispute, which centres on “fire and rehire” tactics and potential pay cuts of up to £8,000 for some staff. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham stated that Ms Rayner “has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.” Birmingham council leader John Cotton and other Labour councillors have also had their Unite memberships suspended, facing an investigation with a view to expulsion for “bringing the union into disrepute.”
This unprecedented suspension of a high-profile Labour figure by its largest affiliated union signals a deepening rift between Unite and the Labour Party. Delegates also voted to “re-examine its relationship” with Labour, a move that could jeopardise significant financial backing for the party and trigger a funding crisis for Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.
The controversy surrounding Ms Rayner’s membership adds to a challenging period for Unite. The union has been crisis hit by allegations of financial impropriety linked to a £112 million hotel and conference complex in Birmingham. This project, developed by a Liverpool builder, is now the subject of an SFO investigation. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham commissioned a QC-led inquiry into the spiralling costs of the hotel, which was independently valued at just £29 million. The union has stated that these inquiries have revealed “serious financial wrongdoing” during the previous leadership’s tenure, with some allegations connecting to broader fraud investigations in Liverpool involving a former mayor and a construction tycoon. Unite’s leadership under Sharon Graham has pledged to “leave no stone unturned” in uncovering any wrongdoing and has initiated legal claims to recover lost funds, but there are fears that the decision today were made to distract from the union’s crisis.