Rayner suspension sparks political storm
Unite, the UK’s largest trade union, has voted to suspend Angela Rayner and re-evaluate its relationship with the Labour Party amid an escalating dispute over the Birmingham bin strikes. The decision marks a sharp rebuke to the deputy prime minister, who has deep roots in the union movement, and intensifies the tension between Labour’s leadership and its traditional left-wing base.
Rayner criticised over Birmingham dispute
Although Rayner had reportedly resigned her Unite membership months ago, delegates at the union’s Brighton conference formally voted to suspend her on Friday (July 11). The move follows sustained criticism of Labour’s handling of the long-running dispute involving Birmingham bin workers, who face major pay cuts.
Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, accused Rayner of siding with “a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers.”
She added: “Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette.”
The row centres on Birmingham City Council’s threat to “fire and rehire” bin workers, which Unite claims would amount to forced redundancy unless employees accepted poorer terms.
Labour ties under fresh scrutiny
Unite also voted to reconsider its historic ties with Labour, furthering the union’s drift away from the party since Sir Keir Starmer’s shift to the political centre. While Labour has previously benefited from substantial Unite support, totalling £42 million between 2010 and 2020, recent elections have seen the union favour individual left-leaning candidates instead.
New party ambitions grow
Indeed, former Labour figures such as Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana have already announced plans to build a new political party to challenge Labour. If Unite formally disaffiliates, it may well lend financial and organisational backing to such efforts.
Labour insiders warned that Starmer faces threats from both ends of the spectrum. On the left, a breakaway movement could splinter Labour’s core vote, especially in urban centres. Meanwhile, on the right, Reform UK under Nigel Farage continues to make inroads into Labour’s “red wall” heartlands with an anti-immigration platform.
Labour defends record
A Labour spokesperson responded by highlighting the government’s record on workplace rights.
“The government has introduced the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation,” the party source said, arguing that only Labour can deliver for working people.
However, the pressure is unlikely to ease soon. With NHS doctors also threatening industrial action, Labour’s re-election pitch centred on public services and fair work is coming under increasing strain, both from its former allies and from political challengers hoping to fill the void.
