Unite threatens labour funding after bin strike row as Rayner insists she quit the union months ago

Angela Rayner has fired back at the Unite trade union, saying she “won’t be pushed around” after the union voted to suspend her membership and reconsider its financial ties with Labour. The fallout centres on the long-running Birmingham bin strike, with Unite accusing Rayner of backing a Labour council that’s imposing brutal cuts on refuse workers.

Yet party sources claim Rayner resigned from Unite months ago, a fact that renders the suspension largely symbolic. Still, the union’s move underscores the deteriorating relationship between Labour and one of its largest and most influential backers.

Unite passed the motion during its policy conference, blasting Rayner for allegedly siding with a “rogue council” and failing to step in. They accused Birmingham City Council of fire-and-rehire tactics — replacing striking bin workers with agency staff and threatening redundancies. General Secretary Sharon Graham said Rayner had backed “lies and smears” and failed to uphold the promises made in Labour’s new Employment Relations Act.

The dispute comes as Rayner and her cabinet colleagues gathered at Chequers for an away day. Her allies dismissed the union’s motion as a political stunt, pointing out she had quit Unite earlier this year and remains loyal to Unison, another major union.

“Angela’s not interested in silly stunts,” said one Labour source. “She quit Unite months ago. Their rejected deal would have undermined equal pay for women, which Angela has spent her career fighting for.”

Unite’s move is not without consequences. The union has already reduced its donations to Labour and is now signalling a further financial pullback — a serious threat as Labour faces election pressure from both the Tories and Reform UK. While Unison has become Labour’s leading union donor, Unite still holds historical weight, having given over £70 million to the party since 2007.

Rayner’s supporters in the broader trade union movement rallied around her. One union-aligned MP said: “Unite’s lost the plot. Angela’s done more for workers than any politician in decades. This posturing isn’t helping their members — it’s about Sharon Graham trying to grab headlines.”

Unite insists otherwise. A senior source within the union said the vote reflected real grassroots anger. The union also suspended the membership of John Cotton, Birmingham’s Labour council leader, who insists the city is “at its limit” after the bin strike brought operations to a halt.

The council, in financial turmoil and under government-appointed commissioners, secured a court order in May to stop picketers from delaying bin lorries. Agency workers have since resumed most collections, but recycling has remained suspended since February, leaving deprived areas still buried in rotting rubbish.

Residents complain of worsening health and hygiene risks as hot weather exacerbates the stench, with many forced to dispose of recyclables in general waste bins. The situation has laid bare Birmingham’s inequality, with more affluent areas cleared faster than working-class districts.

A Labour spokesperson defended the government’s record, saying the party had delivered “the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation”, benefiting 15 million people. A Downing Street spokesperson said the government’s focus remained on supporting Birmingham residents.

While Rayner remains firm in her stance, this union confrontation marks the most visible rift yet between Labour’s leadership and its traditional trade union base — a fracture that could have serious financial and political consequences in the year ahead.

BBC

Angela Rayner is at the centre of a deepening political row after Unite suspended her membership over her stance on the long-running Birmingham bin strike. The Deputy Prime Minister has urged striking workers to accept a Labour council’s offer—sparking fury from the union, which accused her of siding against workers.

Unite, Labour’s biggest affiliated union, said it acted on a conference motion and warned it could rethink its relationship with Labour if redundancies occur. But a Labour source hit back, claiming Rayner had already quit the union and calling the suspension “a silly stunt”.

The bitter dispute stems from plans to scrap certain council roles, with Unite warning that affected workers could lose up to £8,000 a year. Talks have collapsed despite mediation, and Unite leader Sharon Graham accused Rayner of failing to help resolve the crisis. She says Labour must choose: “Whose side are they on?”

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Unite, Britain’s second-largest trade union, has suspended Angela Rayner’s membership amid an intensifying row over her support for Birmingham City Council during ongoing bin strikes. Delegates at Unite’s Brighton conference also voted to review their relationship with Labour, accusing the party and its ministers of betraying striking workers.

The dispute centres on council reforms that unions claim amount to “fire and rehire” tactics. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said Rayner “smeared” workers while siding with a “rogue council.” Labour insiders say Rayner resigned from the union months ago, though Unite disputes this, claiming she remains listed as a member.

The row comes as waste piles up across Birmingham, with workers striking for four months over pay cuts and role downgrades. Unite also suspended council leader John Cotton and several Labour councillors. Downing Street defended the council’s actions, saying reforms were vital to address equal pay liabilities behind its 2023 bankruptcy.