In a significant political upset, left-wing activist and vocal critic of Sir Keir Starmer, Andrea Egan, has been elected as the next general secretary of Unison, the United Kingdom's largest trade union. The result, announced on Wednesday 17 December 2025, delivers a fresh blow to Number 10 and could reshape the Labour Party's relationship with its biggest union backer.
A Decisive Victory and a Shift in Power
In a vote of union members, Andrea Egan defeated the incumbent, Christina McAnea, by a decisive margin of 60% to 40%. The turnout for the election was reported at 7%. Ms Egan, who was expelled from the Labour Party in 2022, will officially take up her post in January 2026. Her victory directly weakens Prime Minister Keir Starmer's support on Labour's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC).
This shift in leadership at the 1.4 million-strong union carries immediate financial implications for the Labour Party. Unison donated £1.49 million to Labour last year, making it the party's single largest union donor. Ms Egan has explicitly vowed to end what she describes as Unison's "subservient" relationship with Labour and has promised a comprehensive review of their ties.
Policy Promises and Political Realignments
Central to Ms Egan's manifesto was a pledge to oppose funding for Labour MPs and parliamentary candidates who "fail to stand against welfare cuts and other attacks on our members' living standards and policies". She signalled a potential political realignment, noting that the founding of the left-wing Your Party by former Labour MP Zarah Sultana meant many union members now "see the possibility of a viable alternative to Labour for the first time".
Your Party enthusiastically welcomed her election, stating in a release that "Unison members have said no to Starmer's crumbs off the table, no to chronic low pay, no to underfunding and no to privatisation." Meanwhile, the Labour grouping Mainstream, which is backed by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, also praised the result, suggesting it showed the government had "fallen out of step" with its traditional coalition.
Leadership Speculation and Official Reactions
Ms Egan's election arrives amid growing internal Labour debates about Sir Keir Starmer's leadership, given the party's poor standing in national opinion polls. In a recent interview, Ms Egan criticised the Prime Minister, saying Labour under him was "not connected to working people". She also hinted she could support Andy Burnham as a potential successor, quipping, "I am a fan of Andy. I mean, he's the King of the North!"
Despite the pointed criticism, Sir Keir Starmer was quick to publicly congratulate Ms Egan on her victory via social media platform X, writing: "Congratulations to @Andrea4GS on her election as general secretary of UNISON. I look forward to working with her." He also paid tribute to the outgoing Christina McAnea for her "outstanding contribution" and her role in securing the landmark Employment Rights Bill, which passed through Parliament on Tuesday.
The election of Andrea Egan marks a pivotal moment for both the trade union movement and the Labour Party. It sets the stage for a potentially more confrontational relationship between the UK's biggest public sector union and the government, with significant consequences for political funding and internal Labour dynamics in the year ahead.
