A senior Labour minister has openly mocked the party's biggest financial backer, the Unite union, amid reports it is considering a historic and potentially catastrophic split. The move follows growing 'intense frustrations' with Sir Keir Starmer's leadership and policy direction.
A Relationship in Crisis
Senior officials at Unite, Labour's largest trade union supporter, are said to be discussing whether to call an emergency vote to formally disaffiliate from the party. Such a step would strike a major blow to the Prime Minister, with some MPs believing it could even cost Sir Keir his premiership. The union, which donates £1.5 million annually from membership fees, has issued a string of attacks on Labour policies in recent weeks.
Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, has been increasingly vocal, threatening to pull funding because Labour is drifting too far to the right and breaking promises to working people. She stated that the union's one million members can no longer trust the party.
Ministerial Mockery and Political Fallout
In a provocative response, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, a staunch Starmer loyalist, appeared to question Unite's resolve. Speaking to Sky News, he remarked that he 'reads this story every few months, usually about the same union', adding, 'Maybe it is true this time. I would regret it, but we would survive and go on.'
Behind the scenes, the potential split is causing significant alarm. One Labour MP described the relationship as 'critically important' but now 'dysfunctional'. There are also suggestions that Unite would seek to replace Sir Keir and 'coalesce around one candidate on the left of the party' to win back their support, with potential leadership rivals already building closer ties with unions.
Broken Promises and Worker Betrayal
The rift has been fuelled by specific policy clashes. Ms Graham recently condemned the Chancellor's Budget, labelling it a 'tax on workers' due to frozen income thresholds that will see one in four workers paying higher rates. She also criticised the watering down of the Employment Rights Bill, which would have granted employees the right to sue for unfair dismissal from their first day.
'Those promises, which were campaigned on, have failed to be delivered. Broken,' Ms Graham asserted. 'Workers have been left unable to trust Labour.'
A formal vote on disaffiliation would need to occur at Unite's next rules conference, scheduled for 2027. However, The Telegraph reports that the union's executive council is considering bringing this forward by calling an emergency rules conference, signalling the urgency of the crisis.
