The most powerful union leader in the United Kingdom has voiced his anger at the unpopularity of Sir Keir Starmer's government, warning that a radical change of direction is necessary to prevent Reform UK from seizing power at the next general election. Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), highlighted an "overwhelming sense of frustration" among trade unions after Labour-affiliated groups issued a statement calling for the prime minister to step down.
"They don't think he could lead Labour into the next election," Mr Nowak told The Guardian. "I'm not going to cut across where our Labour unions are at, but whoever is in No 10, they've got to show working-class people that they are on their side." Despite Sir Keir's promise of "change" during his election campaign, Mr Nowak noted that "for a lot of people there hasn't been any real change. They certainly haven't felt it in their pockets. I get that sense of frustration, 100%."
Self-inflicted mistakes and frustration
The TUC has been a supporter of Sir Keir's government, but Mr Nowak believes it has failed to make a positive case for its time in power. He described the state of the polls as making him "angry, to be honest with you – some of the good stuff the government has done, the government isn't shouting louder about it, isn't getting credit for it." He added: "It makes me angry when you have self-inflicted mistakes like the Mandelson scandal and winter fuel payments. And it makes me angry that we are having to have this debate at a time when people are crying out for politicians to actually pony up and deliver real change."
Time to recover and avoid fatalism
While the local election results earlier this month were devastating for Labour and indicated that Reform is on course for power, Mr Nowak stressed that three years remain before the next election, providing ample time for recovery. He warned the party against becoming "fatalistic." He expressed enthusiasm for a potential return of Andy Burnham, Labour's candidate for Makerfield and the current mayor of Greater Manchester, to parliament, though he cautioned that Burnham would face the same major challenges. "Andy is clearly a talented politician and one that has managed in Manchester to prove that he can deliver but he can tap into issues that matter to working-class people," Mr Nowak said. "There's no guarantee he's going to win that by-election, but it would send a very clear message, I think."
Union leaders call for change
Sir Keir's position is under increasing strain, and after the local elections, several union leaders demanded his resignation. Andrea Egan, general secretary of Unison, Britain's largest union, stated: "Labour faces oblivion because it is not delivering for the vast majority of people. What must change is not just the leader but the entire approach: only a Labour government which always puts the interests of workers before the wealthy can succeed." Unite general secretary Sharon Graham commented: "The writing is on the wall for this Labour government, and it could be the beginning of the end for the party itself. The working class have been abandoned and have delivered their verdict." FBU general secretary Steve Wright described Labour's "devastating election results" as a "consequence of Keir Starmer's government failing to deliver for working people," while TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said Labour "urgently needs a leadership election" with a candidate who can "stop the very real danger of a far-right government coming to power in this country."
