The UK's largest trade union, Unison, is set for a dramatic political shift under its newly elected leader, who has pledged to halt support for the "destructive right wing" of the Labour Party.
A Leftward Shift for a Major Labour Donor
Andrea Egan, who secured a decisive victory this week as a leftwing challenger, will take over as general secretary in January. She immediately signalled a break from the union's recent approach, criticising shadow health secretary Wes Streeting and warning against any future leadership contest that would simply replace Keir Starmer with him.
In a blunt article, Egan, a social worker with decades of union experience, stated: "We will call time on our union’s inexcusable habit of propping up politicians who act against our interests." She highlighted Streeting's description of striking junior doctors as "morally reprehensible" as particularly unacceptable for a Labour politician.
Collision Course Over Strikes and Policy
Egan's remarks indicate Unison, which donated almost £1 million to Labour this year and represents health and social care workers, is on a potential collision course with the party's frontbench. Her stance suggests a move towards the more confrontational approach of the Unite union, led by Sharon Graham.
While promising to engage open-mindedly with Streeting, Egan was clear about the future. "Given the likelihood of a Labour leadership election in 2026, it’s important for me to be clear: swapping Starmer out for Streeting or anyone else from the right wing of the party would be no solution," she argued, calling instead for a radical change based on core Labour values.
Egan, who was expelled from Labour in 2022 for sharing content from a banned socialist group, also called on Starmer to "act now" regarding Palestinian hunger strikers, linking international policy to workers' rights.
Union Reform and Wider Political Pressure
The incoming leader also vowed to reform Unison's internal culture, criticising a top-down approach where ordinary members are "consistently disregarded." This change at the top of Britain's biggest union adds to the pressure on Starmer from the left, alongside challenges from the Green party and the new movement co-founded by Jeremy Corbyn.
This leftward push comes as Labour faces pressure from the opposite flank. The government recently agreed to water down its flagship Employment Rights Bill, compromising on a manifesto pledge for day-one protection against unfair dismissal. Instead, workers will qualify after six months, not the current two years, a climbdown unions accepted in exchange for lifting the compensation cap.
Furthermore, a discussion paper from the Labour Together group, which helped Starmer's leadership, suggested scrapping many regulations from the new bill to boost the economy, proposing easier hiring and firing alongside a new employment insurance system. A spokesperson for the group stressed it fully supported the passed Act but was exploring long-term ideas for a changing economy.
In response to Egan's criticism, a spokesperson for Wes Streeting defended his record, citing his work on fair pay agreements for care workers and ending outsourcing practices that undermine pay. They stated Streeting, a Unison member himself, had "never closed the door" on junior doctors after awarding a 28.9% pay rise and argued it would be dishonest to ignore the impact of strikes on patients and NHS staff.
