https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/unite-forge-authentic-voice-working-class-if-it-quits-labour
Sharon Graham speaks at the Durham Miners’ Gala, July 13, 2025Durham Miners’ Gala 2025
UNITE will forge an “authentic voice for the working class” if it votes to disaffiliate from Labour for attacking striking Birmingham bin workers, general secretary Sharon Graham has told the 139th Durham Miners’ Gala.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s name was booed by the crowd as Ms Graham chanted “shame on you” over her handling of the long-running strikes, as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that he agreed with her “absolutely.”
Delegates at Labour’s biggest union backer voted to rethink their relationship with the party and suspend Ms Rayner at their policy conference last week.
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The Unite conference also called for the recognition of the state of Palestine and vowed to support “worker-led campaigns to boycott the handling of Israeli goods and services in their workplaces and campaigns for divestment from Israeli companies in their workplaces and the wider economy.”
Mr Corbyn hailed the decision as “historically important because we will stop the supply of weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces to kill people in Gaza.”
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Following attacks from Durham Reform councillors over not being invited to the gala’s platform, Durham Miners’ Association chairman Stephen Guy told the Morning Star that the local Labour MP and Israel supporter Luke Akehurst wasn’t invited either.
“The message is the same, whether you are Labour or Reform, if you don’t share our values or beliefs you don’t get an invite. We have Labour MPs here today on the platform and they’ve been selected because they share our values,” he said.
