Union now paying more to Labour in affiliation fees than under McCluskey
Unite’s funding to the Labour party has increased in recent months, with the union giving almost £750,000 to the party in the last two months of last year compared to £663,122 donated under Len McCluskey in the first eight months of 2021, according to Electoral Commission figures.
The donations are fees paid by the union for affiliation to the Labour party:
In late 2020, McCluskey cut donations to the party significantly because of Keir Starmer’s hard lurch to the right compared to his leadership campaign promises. Ms Graham said recently that Unite would cut political funding to the party and campaigned for the general secretary position on a platform of peeling the union away from ‘Westminster politics’.
Other unions have already cut their donations to the party. The Bakers’ union disaffiliated entirely last year. The Communication Workers’ Union’s conference slashed funding to the bare minimum and the GMB, which ended donations to London Labour in protest at the Labour right’s treatment of workers, is said to be close to withdrawing its donations altogether, with GMB head Gary Smith furious at Starmer’s cosiness with Rupert Murdoch.
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Sharon Graham is clearly like Keir Starmer – neither are people of their word but Sharon may have made a big mistake here.
She will have to stand for re-election as Gen Sec when the present 5 year term ends and given this going back on her word and the lack of trust it will cause I wouldn’t bet on her chances of being re-elected.
Are donations in proportion with the number of members? In this case, it may be indicative of higher union membership, not of support for Starmer.
That was my assumption, too.
Yes you are right Ben. Thanks. I hadn’t thought of that when I posted my comment at 11.40am
Whether trade Unions help the hundreds of thousand democratic socialists who have left Labour form a ‘new party’ or not, the Labour Movement (well, Sharon Graham’s Unite the Union part of it) is showing itself to be wanting in the Transparency and Democracy department.
Root and Branch reform of the Labour Movement is needed every part as much as a new party to fix the PLP problem.
Haha. The writing was on the wall when the Unite membership loyalty card linked to several capitalist corporations, including Tory donors Boots the chemist.
Looks like I got it right, resigning when Corbyn was hounded out. Anyone remaining and paying good money after this truly needs their bumps feeling.
Boots The Cemist..
Or to give them their full name “Boots Te Chemist The Tax-Dodger”
“Boots. The chemist chain, once based in Nottingham, is now registered at a post office box in the tiny Swiss canton of Zug – a notorious “tax haven within a tax haven”. That’s saving the firm £100 million a year in tax.”
Scabs. As good as. Or is that as bad as?
I had had issues with her for some time now, just look at the way she seems to deliberately delay any action of any kind and even when she does anything it’s been half hearted. I thought Len was a joker!!.
She can feel the remind. Go on Sharon, stroke it, try one on, lovely.
What has been promised to Unions by Temporary Embarrassment
Methinks
You can forget that for starters
My god the 2020s labour left are the most cowardly bunch of traitors the UK ever saw. They have absolutely no socialist principles left. Just a bunch of self serving establishment gouls riding the dirty great gravy train. Can’t wait to campaign against the lot of these dribbling porridge faced liars.
M – Did you go out campaigning for Nellist?