TUC chief ‘angry’ at Starmer’s unpopularity but warns party not to become ‘fatalistic’ over Reform threat
The UK’s most powerful union leader said he was furious that Sir Keir Starmer’s government was unpopular and warned that a radical change of course was needed to prevent Reform UK from returning to power at the next general election.
Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak said there was “overwhelming disappointment” in unions after Labor Party groups issued a statement calling on the prime minister to resign.
‘They don’t think he can take Labor to the next election,’ Mr Nowak said Guard. “I won’t cut into where our trade unions stand, but whoever ends up in No 10, they need to show working-class people that they’re on their side.”
Although Sir Keir promised “change” in the election campaign, Mr Nowak said “there has been no real change for many people”.
He added: “They definitely didn’t feel it in their pocket. I 100% understand that feeling of disappointment.”
The TUC has been a supporter of Sir Keir’s government and Mr Nowak believes the government has failed to provide positive evidence for its time in power.
He said the state of the polls made him “honestly angry at some of the good things the government has done, the government hasn’t shouted louder about it, hasn’t taken credit for it.”
He added: “It angers me that you’ve made your own mistakes, like the Mandelson scandal and winter fuel payments. And it angers me that we have to have this debate at a time when people are crying out for politicians to actually stand up and deliver real change.”
Although local election results earlier this month were devastating for Labor and showed Reform moving towards power, he said three years was enough time for the party to recover before the next election and warned the party not to act “fatalistically”.
He said he would be keen to see Andy Burnham, Labour’s candidate for Makerfield and the current mayor of Manchester, return to parliament but warned he would face the same major challenges.
“Andy is clearly a talented politician and one who has managed to prove that he can deliver in Manchester but still touch on issues that are important to working class people,” Mr Nowak said. “There is no guarantee he will win the by-election, but I think it will send a very clear message.”
Sir Keir’s position is under increasing pressure and after the local elections many union leaders called for his resignation.
Andrea Egan, general secretary of Unison, Britain’s largest union, said: “The Labor Party is in danger of being forgotten because it does not serve the vast majority of people. It is not just the leader that needs to change, it is the whole approach: a Labor government that will always put the interests of workers ahead of the success of the rich.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The writing is on the wall for the Labor government and this could be the beginning of the end for the party itself. Labor has been abandoned and its mind is made up.”
FBU general secretary Steve Wright said Labour’s “devastating election results” were “a consequence of Keir Starmer’s government failing to deliver for workers”, while TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said Labor “urgently needs a leadership election” with a candidate who can “stop the real danger of a far-right government coming to power in this country”.
