Ex-Unite leader Tony Woodley turns down peerage offered by Jeremy Corbyn

Tony Woodley, a former general secretary of party-affiliated Unite the Union, has turned down a peerage that was offered by Jeremy Corbyn when he was still Labour leader.

He has released a statement, which reads: “I am deeply honoured to have been asked by Jeremy Corbyn, when still Labour Leader, to join Labour’s team in the House of Lords.

“I would like to thank Jeremy and Ian Lavery, then the chair of the party, for their support. However, after the most careful reflection I have decided not to accept the peerage offered.

“The greatest honour of my life was to be elected general secretary of the historic Transport & General Workers Union (now part of Unite) by my fellow members.

“So I would prefer to follow the example of my hero and mentor Jack Jones, the greatest man to hold that job, and not accept a peerage.

“I will do whatever I can to advance Labour’s cause in the future, but I have determined that I will do it best as I did when I was first elected a union representative more than 50 years ago, as plain Tony Woodley.”

The left-winger had said in 2018 that he was “not seeking nomination to the House of Lords”, and a Unite spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “He’s not sought a peerage and won’t accept a peerage.”

Woodley was general secretary of the TGWU from 2004 until 2007, before becoming joint general secretary of Unite when the union merged with Amicus. He stepped down from the role in 2011.

During Tony Blair’s leadership of the Labour Party, Woodley was considered to be a member of the “Awkward Squad” of left-wing trade union leaders who spoke out against certain New Labour policies.

Before Keir Starmer became leader, Corbyn nominated his former deputy Tom Watson, ex-Speaker John Bercow and staffer Karie Murphy – but these were rejected by the House of Lords appointment commission.

Labour peerages were accepted by Sue Hayman, who lost her Workington parliamentary seat in last year’s general election, professor Prem Sikka, pensions expert Bryn Davies and ex-aide Katy Clark.