Unison endorses Jeremy Corbyn in Labour leadership race

Unison, the public services union, has given its backing to Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership contest.

The UK’s second largest trade union held discussions with its regional branches and an email consultation with all affiliated members, and found a majority support for the current Labour leader to be re-elected. Every region backed Corbyn, as did 58 per cent of those consulted. The decision was made after a meeting of the union’s Labour Link executive this afternoon.

The union got in touch with the 30,000 of its members who are eligible to vote in the contest as affiliated Labour supporters, with around 20,000 taking part. You can see the results of the consultation here.

Unison also supported Corbyn in last year’s contest, and their endorsement means he has retained the backing of the two biggest unions in the country, after Unite confirmed their position yesterday. See all the trade union nominations here.

But in his statement announcing the union’s position, General Secretary Dave Prentis warned about the danger of Labour becoming “the new ‘nasty party'”, because of the tone of debate.

“Jeremy Corbyn retains the backing of a majority of Unison’s Labour supporting members. That’s why the committee supported his nomination again,” Prentis said.

“However, a significant minority backed Owen Smith. Their views will always be respected in our union – that’s our proud tradition.

“It’s healthy for people to hold alternative views on the future direction of the party. What’s toxic though is for abuse, threats and aggressive language to be considered acceptable – or the norm. Labour is in danger of becoming the new ‘nasty party’ if this behaviour continues unchecked. There’s no place in the party for witch hunts against MPs, councillors and party staff.

“The decent hard-working people we represent don’t want a party riven by infighting. They want a united opposition that stands up for public services which are facing intolerable pressures.”

Reacting to the endorsement, Jeremy Corbyn said:

“I am proud to have the support of Unison members. Their incredible work, against the backdrop of cuts, privatisation and outsourcing of public services, keeps the services we all rely on running – from the NHS to local government.

“We need a Labour Party that gives them a voice – that halts and reverses the cuts, privatisation, and outsourcing that are ripping Britain’s communities and services apart.

“The next Labour government will create a million new jobs and build a million new homes – and we will end the public sector pay cap overnight. In the NHS and across the public sector, we will push back against outsourcing and privatisation, and invest properly in staff and infrastructure. Our plan to rebuild and transform Britain so that no one and nowhere is left behind will restore dignity, jobs and quality to our public services.”