‘Labour needs a reset’, says boss of Britain’s largest trade union

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea has called on the government to “reset” and focus more on making people’s lives better as Budget Day looms.

In an exclusive interview with Labourlist, she said that, while people are better off with Labour government, the party has not delivered on the high expectations set when they took office.

She expressed disappointment at a range of decisions made by the government so far, including the winter fuel allowance, “attacks” on welfare benefits, the failure to compensate Waspi women, delays in passing legislation banning conversion therapy and the continuation of the controversial two-child benefit cap – although both Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have signalled the policy may be axed in the Budget.

With the Budget only a few weeks away, she called on Reeves to look again at her fiscal policy and stressed the importance of further shifting the tax burden away from the lowest paid and onto the shoulders of the wealthiest.

“It’s always been the lowest paid or people on benefits that are expected to pay the price for the fact that the government’s not got much money. I think there is a real opportunity for the government to shift the dial and move the burden of taxation away from working people and back to having a better redistribution of who pays taxes.

“Let’s go after those who own property and stocks and shares that are worth over £2m or £5m. Are they seriously saying if you’ve got millions in property and stocks and shares you would notice a one or two percent increase in tax? I find that hard to believe.”

READ MORE: Unison boss: We’ll back Labour – but fight them when we must

McAnea said, with the state of the opinion polls, the government needs a change in direction and urged Starmer to “turn the corner” by doing more to tackle the cost of living.

“I feel they need a reset. It’s not been working. You don’t need me to say that – everyone can see it’s not been working. The polls are terrible.

“I would like them to try and turn the corner by actually coming out with policies that they can see will make people’s lives better.”

She encouraged Rachel Reeves to be “brave and bold” and suggested that the Treasury should consider reversing Tory tax cuts to the bank surcharge.

“That would bring them something like £2-£3bn a year if they put it back up to what it was before the Tories cut it. If you look at the profits banks are making, it’s through the roof – so they ought to be getting a bigger tax on their profits.”

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