Overview
- Senior Unite officials are considering calling an emergency conference to hold a formal disaffiliation vote, according to multiple reports.
- No vote has been announced publicly, but union figures describe “intense frustration” with Sir Keir Starmer from leadership to grassroots members.
- Unite leader Sharon Graham had warned the Budget would be a decisive test and has attacked Labour’s direction in recent statements.
- Some Labour MPs, quoted anonymously, argue Unite’s backing may return only if the party chooses a different leader.
- Electoral Commission data shows Unite has given Labour £52.2m since 2000, while union donations fell to £5.3m in the year to September 2025, and any break would require an emergency rules conference before the next scheduled one in 2027.