Paul SeddonPolitical reporter and
Iain WatsonPolitical correspondent
Getty Images
Angela Rayner is embroiled in an escalating row with Unite over her role in the long-running bin strikes in Birmingham.
The union announced earlier it had suspended the membership of the deputy prime minister, who has been urging striking bin workers to accept a deal to end the dispute tabled by the Labour-run city council.
But a Labour source said she had already quit the union and “won’t be pushed around,” branding the announcement a “silly stunt”.
The union, which says it followed a motion approved by delegates at its policy conference, has insisted Rayner is on its membership system.
The motion also threatened to rethink its relationship with Labour if any of its members are made redundant.
In any event, by making its announcement Unite has decided to advertise a very public political rift with the deputy prime minister.
Unite is affiliated to Labour, giving it seats on the party’s ruling national executive committee and delegates to its annual conference.
It did not donate to the party’s election campaign last year, but made donations worth £10,000 towards Rayner’s campaign, according to her register of interests.
Labour is less dependent on union financial backing than it was under Jeremy Corbyn, with the party having widened its sources of funding under Sir Keir Starmer.
But if the union chose to disaffiliate, it would still deliver a significant financial blow.
Unite is also its biggest union funder through the affiliation
Read More