Unite union worked in ‘silo of society’ for too long, says leadership candidate Gerard Coyne

Unite leadership contest
Gerard Coyne
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Unite the union has been working in a “silo of society” for too long, leadership candidate Gerard Coyne said on Wednesday as he vowed to bring it into the 21st century.

Mr Coyne is seen as the moderate candidate in the race to succeed left-winger Len McCluskey as general secretary of Labour’s biggest union backer.

In an interview with the Standard, Mr Coyne blasted the current leadership of the powerful union for their spending and said he would work with Tory ministers on behalf of members.

He also said he would not be a “backseat driver” for the Labour Party and declined to comment on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, saying he wants to move the union away from “messing around” in Westminster politics.

“I want to make it clear that if it’s in my members’ interests, I will talk to anyone, managers or ministers, if I believe that it will deliver something on their behalf,” Mr Coyne said.

“For too long we’ve been almost in a silo of society. I want us to break out of that and be seen as part of the broader spectrum, democratic spectrum, the broader engagement in society at large.

“And that means sending a very clear message now. I’m not going to be stuck in that silo.”

Despite being a life-long member of the Labour party, Mr Coyne said he would not be “grabbing the steering wheel” and added: “Keir has a big job to do in terms of those Red Wall seats that were lost, to gain them back. But that’s his job.

“My job is to focus on our members’ employment and protecting that employment – seeing them through the tough years ahead.”

He also made a pitch to the capital’s office workers “glued to the keyboard” because of changes created by the pandemic.

Mr Coyne claimed that over decades Unite had been in a “long slow terminal decline” and called for the self-employed, those from small workplaces and finance workers to join.

He added: “I want to see our organisation thriving and growing and genuinely be representative of the world of work and the voice of work of the 21st century – not the last century.”

Against Mr Coyne are left wingers Steve Turner, who is endorsed by the Communist Party, and Sharon Graham, who has the support of the Socialist Workers Party. Unite’s current general secretary Mr McCluskey is backing Mr Turner in the race.

At stake are millions of pounds of grants and donations funnelled from Unite’s accounts into political campaigning, as well as the union’s influence over the selection of future MPs and in policy votes.

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