The general secretary of Unite, Labour's most powerful union backer, has delivered a stark warning to the government, stating it must decide "what it stands for and who it stands for" in 2026 or face sowing the seeds of its own destruction.
A Blunt Ultimatum to the Labour Leadership
In a forceful article for the Times, Sharon Graham accused the Labour Party of being preoccupied with internal debates about its "failing leadership" and the inevitable speculation about who might succeed Prime Minister Keir Starmer. She argued that simply replacing the leader with figures like Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting, or Ed Miliband would not be enough to win back worker support if policies remain unchanged.
"It cannot just be a question of changing the leader or improving the sales pitch," Graham wrote. "There is much agonising right now about whether, when and who should replace the prime minister. That is inevitable."
Policy Shifts, Not Personalities, Required
Graham's critique focused on specific policy failures, highlighting that Unite was the only union not to endorse Labour's election manifesto "as it did not back jobs". She pointed to the party's opposition to the winter fuel allowance cut and what she termed the "self-harm" of net zero targets lacking proper industrial investment.
She also criticised the recent budget, accusing Labour of opting for "stealth taxes on workers instead of a wealth tax on the mega-rich", a choice she labelled as "wrong". "Labour must stop being embarrassed to be the voice of workers," she asserted, reminding the party that trade unions exist to fight for workers, not to side with politicians.
A Nation in Need of Vision
The Unite leader painted a picture of a "rudderless" Britain, arguing that the country which led the first Industrial Revolution is now "nowhere in the fourth". She warned that the next prime minister would inherit the same crises unless a fundamental policy shift occurs.
"For too long it has been everyday people, workers and communities who have paid the price for crisis after crisis not of their making," Graham stated. "In 2026 this must stop. The government needs to decide what it stands for and who it stands for. If we have to ask, it is not working."
Her final message was unequivocal: "In the coming year, if this government does not depart from its current path, it will surely be sowing the seeds of its own destruction."
