Unite’s Break from Labour: A Long Time Coming, but Still a Blow, writes Aggie Chambre |
11 July 2025, 15:31
By Aggie Chambre
On Sunday, July 5, 2015, Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership bid received a major boost when Britain’s largest union, Unite, formally backed him. Donations followed. He quickly surged ahead in the race—eventually winning the crown. While he might have succeeded without their support, Unite’s endorsement certainly helped.
During his leadership—and even before—Unite was Labour’s most generous donor. But Corbyn’s eventual ejection from the party marked a turning point. Many now see it as the beginning of a fractured relationship that appears on the verge of breaking altogether. Today, union members voted to........