Government sent ominous ‘destruction’ warning amid plea to back workers
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has issued a stark warning to the Labor government, arguing that failure to put workers first in 2026 could lead to “sowing the seeds of its own destruction”.
Don’t write TimesMs Graham criticized the party for “failed leadership” and being overly preoccupied with Sir Keir Starmer’s potential successors rather than addressing the country’s pressing problems.
He painted a picture of a Britain that was “rudderless” and devoid of vision, saying: “For too long, ordinary people, workers and communities have paid the price for crisis after crisis of no making. This must end by 2026.”
Ms Graham challenged the government to define its purpose and commitment, saying: “The government needs to decide what it represents and who it represents. If we have to ask, it’s not working.”
Dismissing internal party rows as a distraction, Ms Graham admitted debate over the candidate to replace Sir Keir was “inevitable”.
But he warned that “a new Labor leadership with the same policies won’t cut it. No matter who is in Downing Street, the doomsday cycle will not be broken by milder austerity.”
He lamented Britain’s decline from leading the first Industrial Revolution to being “nowhere in the fourth” and underlined the urgent need for a clear national vision and a fundamental change in policy.
In particular, Unite, the only member union not to endorse the manifesto, has consistently challenged Labor on key policies.
Ms Graham stressed they were opposed to the winter fuel allowance cut and the “self-destructive net zero targets that come without necessary investment in new industries”.
He firmly stated that “unions are there to fight on behalf of workers, not to side with politicians.”
He further criticized Labour’s recent budget choices, arguing that “choosing to impose hidden taxes on workers rather than a wealth tax on the mega-rich is the wrong choice”.
Ms Graham called on the party to “stop being ashamed of being the voice of workers”, arguing that “workers are tired of carrying the can”.
He attributed the UK’s low productivity not to the workforce but to “the investment strike at UK plc”, describing it as “a collective failure to invest in industry while maximizing returns for shareholders”.
He called on Labor to “deliver real growth, borrow money to invest in Britain to create a sustainable future” next year, with Britain “at the bottom of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) class in industrial investment”.
Concluding her piece, Ms Graham repeated her ominous warning: “Next year, if this Government remains on course, it will surely sow the seeds of its own destruction.”
