Unite General Secretary Election
- Thread starter magneze
- Start date
Miss-Shelf
I'll meet you further on up the road
good
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
If only there were a millionaire solicitor who helped to fuck over miners’ pensions running....
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
They all confirmed then? Thought HB was supposed to the ‘close’ to the SP?
Didn’t know the right wing had confirmed its candidate.
More or less confirmed, as far as I know. But there will be skirmishes (already have been in the NW) re who ends up getting the UL nomination.
HB spoke at the NSSN national meeting the other day, so I suppose you could say he’s ‘close’ in that very limited respect. SG was also there, and made contributions . As for ST, he apparently used to be a member of Militant.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
So did Lenny....
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
You’ve already mentioned him. Twice now.
I was born quite a few years after the miners’ strike. Not aware what ST and HB got up to during it.
However, I do know that they are both soft lefts who are not going to rock the boat.
I also know that there are forces within Unite that will want a figure even further to the right than ST and HB. So no, the full-Blairite candidate has not been named yet (as far as I know).
EDIT: just googled it and found this: Top Unite official fined in miners’ payout scandal
HB is a complete rat as he showed in 2018 when he supported Len in blocking Open Selection in Labour.
He denies it when asked publicly (“never believe anything until it’s been officially denied”, and all that).
Last edited:
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Well, the UL hustings went well. The report below only hints at the brewing row. I’ve been told that HB is planning a formal challenge after some of his supporters were excluded from the ballot. These include 3 of his supporters from the Birmingham bins dispute who had recorded videos backing him.
labourlist.org
Steve Turner wins United Left backing to succeed Len McCluskey - LabourList
Steve Turner has won the backing of United Left, the biggest left-wing organisation within Unite the Union, in…
labourlist.org
I had no doubt that Sir Keef would prefer Gerard Coyne.
www.theguardian.com
Starmer supporter plans bid for leadership of Unite union
Gerard Coyne hopes to replace the union’s current leader, Len McCluskey, when he steps down next year
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
BBC article on the election, which looks decent from my limited knowledge:
Based on mainly paying attention to the construction and Manchester bus disputes, it feels like I'm seeing Graham's name come up a lot more than any of the others, dunno how it seems to anyone else though?
Unite contest: Who's running and what's at stake?
Iain Watson looks at the candidates to succeed Len McCluskey as leader of the union.
www.bbc.co.uk
Based on mainly paying attention to the construction and Manchester bus disputes, it feels like I'm seeing Graham's name come up a lot more than any of the others, dunno how it seems to anyone else though?
andysays
Love and solidarity
That's an interesting article, if understandably limited.BBC article on the election, which looks decent from my limited knowledge:
Unite contest: Who's running and what's at stake?
Iain Watson looks at the candidates to succeed Len McCluskey as leader of the union.www.bbc.co.uk
Based on mainly paying attention to the construction and Manchester bus disputes, it feels like I'm seeing Graham's name come up a lot more than any of the others, dunno how it seems to anyone else though?
As a very recent workplace rep, I'll be attending a virtual branch meeting in a couple of weeks to discuss who, if anyone, my branch is going to nominate.
At this point I don't feel like I have much info to go on, so would be interested to hear what others think (as well as doing a bit of reading for myself, obvs...)
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
They are all bureaucrats (plus one ex-bureaucrat) and none of them really have 'the answer.'
Of the likely nominees, well, maybe not actual nominees cos it is less obvious that Coyne will get enough nominations this time. He's an ex-bureaucrat now, without much of his old base and the nomination criteria makes it a bit harder for him to get on. Good. There isn't much to choose between Turner & Beckett (who I'd place as marginal favourite), the latter talks a bit more left and is clearly playing it up as the fighter for Corbynism. But they dont actually talk that much about organisation.
Which is why I'm supporting Sharon Graham. She is perfectly decent politically (as far as TU leaders go), although she hasn't really raised many 'political' issues in her campaign so far, but she is all for bolstering the Organising & Leverage department (which she ran) and that is more important, to me, than having the right view on the level of Labour Party affiliation fees.
Of the likely nominees, well, maybe not actual nominees cos it is less obvious that Coyne will get enough nominations this time. He's an ex-bureaucrat now, without much of his old base and the nomination criteria makes it a bit harder for him to get on. Good. There isn't much to choose between Turner & Beckett (who I'd place as marginal favourite), the latter talks a bit more left and is clearly playing it up as the fighter for Corbynism. But they dont actually talk that much about organisation.
Which is why I'm supporting Sharon Graham. She is perfectly decent politically (as far as TU leaders go), although she hasn't really raised many 'political' issues in her campaign so far, but she is all for bolstering the Organising & Leverage department (which she ran) and that is more important, to me, than having the right view on the level of Labour Party affiliation fees.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
I’m leaning towards voting for Graham as well. And for largely the same reasons as Belboid.....
She’s the candidate most interested in rebuilding organisation and bolstering leverage as far as I can see. Her emphasis on building locally places her slightly ahead of the other ‘left’ candidates from what I’ve read.
But if Coyne does get the nominations then Graham, Beckett and Turner can’t all run.
She’s the candidate most interested in rebuilding organisation and bolstering leverage as far as I can see. Her emphasis on building locally places her slightly ahead of the other ‘left’ candidates from what I’ve read.
But if Coyne does get the nominations then Graham, Beckett and Turner can’t all run.
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
Agree on that too, Good luck getting any of them to stand aside though.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Yes, and it’s not like the ‘left’ have recently run three candidates in an election for a major union GS election, split their vote and let the candidate of the right in is it??
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
Yeah, here's Graham's site, fwiw:
As above, in the absence of a candidate running on a full anarcho-syndicalist platform, someone whose selling point is being more focused on decent workplace organisation than internal Labour politics sounds good to me.
Also, since I don't think we have a separate RMT elections thread, might as well put this here, don't particularly have any opinions about that one either:
Mick Lynch elected as new RMT General Secretary
Transport union RMT confirmed today that Mick Lynch has been elected as the union's new General Secretary, succeeding Mick Cash.
www.rmt.org.uk
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Also, since I don't think we have a separate RMT elections thread, might as well put this here, don't particularly have any opinions about that one either:
Mick Lynch elected as new RMT General Secretary
Transport union RMT confirmed today that Mick Lynch has been elected as the union's new General Secretary, succeeding Mick Cash.www.rmt.org.uk
RMT also seems to have had 3 left candidates running against each other: Lynch (AGS possibly a Labour left/CP type), Headley (who seems to lead a group who’ve fell out with Cash/Lynch) and an AWLer. No idea why or what the differences are but all of these contests are revealing of the atrophied democratic participation in unions, and the relative weakness of genuine rank and file groups - as left bureaucrats fight it out and get elected on minuscule turnouts.
ETA: if I remember correctly the PCS union also had 3 ‘left’ candidates for its GS elections: Mark Serwotka, an SP candidate and a AWLer.
Last edited:
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
This was posted on the Starmer thread, but I suppose can go here as well:
Also in Labour/Unite news, Steve Turner gave an interview where he said this:
The context to that comment being that as part of the Go Ahead fire-and-rehire dispute, Unite was campaigning to put pressure on Burnham and Khan to say that they wouldn't support Go Ahead being given further contracts unless they dropped fire-and-rehire. So Turner's basically signalling there that, if he was Unite leader, and a company was attacking Unite members, Labour politicians would be free to carry on giving fat contracts to that company and Unite would definitely not take any effective action to pressure them out of it.
I also did a quick trawl of what the various left groups were saying, not sure if it's too trainspottery to post but I can confirm that every non-Coyne candidate has at least one leftist outfit backing them.
Also in Labour/Unite news, Steve Turner gave an interview where he said this:
The context to that comment being that as part of the Go Ahead fire-and-rehire dispute, Unite was campaigning to put pressure on Burnham and Khan to say that they wouldn't support Go Ahead being given further contracts unless they dropped fire-and-rehire. So Turner's basically signalling there that, if he was Unite leader, and a company was attacking Unite members, Labour politicians would be free to carry on giving fat contracts to that company and Unite would definitely not take any effective action to pressure them out of it.
I also did a quick trawl of what the various left groups were saying, not sure if it's too trainspottery to post but I can confirm that every non-Coyne candidate has at least one leftist outfit backing them.
Smokeandsteam
Working Class First
Definitely not too trainspottery. Post em up
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
OK, here goes:
AWL say they're all bad, but Graham and Turner are the least worst: Unite election: no good options | Workers' Liberty
SP say Graham or Beckett: Unite general secretary election nomination stage
Skwawkbox seem to luv Beckett: Beckett – SKWAWKBOX
Socialist Appeal also backing Beckett: Unite elections: Howard Beckett for general secretary
CP are backing Turner: Communist Party backs Steve Turner to lead Unite
RS21 and SWP both saying Graham:
www.rs21.org.uk
socialistworker.co.uk
AWL say they're all bad, but Graham and Turner are the least worst: Unite election: no good options | Workers' Liberty
SP say Graham or Beckett: Unite general secretary election nomination stage
Skwawkbox seem to luv Beckett: Beckett – SKWAWKBOX
Socialist Appeal also backing Beckett: Unite elections: Howard Beckett for general secretary
CP are backing Turner: Communist Party backs Steve Turner to lead Unite
RS21 and SWP both saying Graham:
Who should be Unite’s next General Secretary?
rs21 - revolutionary socialism in the 21st century
www.rs21.org.uk
Back Sharon Graham for Unite union general secretary - Socialist Worker
The Unite union general secretary election race is about to begin following Len McCluskey’s announcement earlier this month that he will step down from the role.
socialistworker.co.uk
andysays
Love and solidarity
I'll have to do some proper reading around this this weekend, and this stuff will certainly be a part of that.OK, here goes:
AWL say they're all bad, but Graham and Turner are the least worst: Unite election: no good options | Workers' Liberty
SP say Graham or Beckett: Unite general secretary election nomination stage
Skwawkbox seem to luv Beckett: Beckett – SKWAWKBOX
Socialist Appeal also backing Beckett: Unite elections: Howard Beckett for general secretary
CP are backing Turner: Communist Party backs Steve Turner to lead Unite
RS21 and SWP both saying Graham:
Who should be Unite’s next General Secretary?
rs21 - revolutionary socialism in the 21st centuryBack Sharon Graham for Unite union general secretary - Socialist Worker
The Unite union general secretary election race is about to begin following Len McCluskey’s announcement earlier this month that he will step down from the role.
May even share my thoughts here...
andysays
Love and solidarity
This bit made me laughRS21 and SWP both saying Graham:
Who should be Unite’s next General Secretary?
rs21 - revolutionary socialism in the 21st century
The fact that Graham doesn't find it necessary to declare a position on Palestine actually makes me more like to vote for her, not less.
hitmouse
music obfuscation technology
Yeah, exactly the same reaction here.
belboid
Exasperated, not angry.
they do affect how the union is run though. More especially re climate change, but it is pointing out how she is (almost) pretending that 'politics' doesn't exist. When, of course it does. Its better than pretending how we organise doesn't matter (for a union leader), but it is still an oversight.
Similar threads
- Poll
