Unite organisers are “seriously considering” turning to Jeremy Corbyn’s new party and abandoning Labour in a move that could abolish the 126 year relationship, The London Economic can exclusively reveal.
Union officials have today hit out at Keir Starmer for acting like the “Tories in disguise” after an explosive row over the handling of the bin strikes in Birmingham as they threaten to rip up affiliations with the government.
Unite, one of Britain’s largest trade unions, has announced it is “re-examining” its longstanding relationship with Labour. But union sources have now said they could urge leaders to stop funding the party under Sir Keir and endorse Jeremy Corbyn.
It comes after the Durham Miners’ Gala last weekend, where Unite general secretary Sharon Graham was joined alongside Mr Corbyn in “solidarity”.
During the event, The London Economic understands Mrs Graham said “if we leave [Labour], we will forge a new vehicle for our class” while the Independent MP was sitting just metres away.
A trade union source said: “After the Durham Miners’ Gala, Unite organisers and leaders are now seriously considering backing a Jeremy Corbyn led party.
“We know one in five Britons are already thinking about voting for a party like this and Unite generally see Corbyn as a much stronger leader than Keir Starmer already.
“It almost seems Labour are just the Tories in disguise and we have seen that from the hideous response to the bin strikes up in Birmingham.”
Another source said: “Unite members would choose Jeremy Corbyn over Keir Starmer any day. I think Sharon [Graham] knows that.”
Mr Corbyn, who led the Labour party until 2020, also revealed he agreed with Unite’s response to the Birmingham bin strikes, where the union has accused Labour of using fire and rehire tactics to deal with the ongoing issue.
“The way in which the commissioners in Birmingham are deciding they want to cut the wages of bin workers. I agree with what Sharon said absolutely, and what Unite is doing for the fight for the Birmingham bin workers,” he said.
“I think we all know that the Birmingham bin workers’ victory and it will be a victory and it will come – will be a warning sign that the next local authority under government pressure that decides it wants to lower wages is going to have a fight coming to it, so get behind this struggle now to ensure it doesn’t happen elsewhere to others.”
A Unite spokesperson said: “This is completely untrue, the decision to review the relationship with the Labour Party has absolutely nothing to do with potential support for any other grouping and any suggestions to the contrary has no basis in fact.”