An open letter from Nigel Farage inviting trade unions to break ties with Labour and affiliate with Reform UK has been met with scorn from union leaders. Unite's general secretary told journalists the party had “shown absolutely no evidence that they are friends of workers.” The offer came after a poll suggested Farage was the most popular party leader among trade union members.
Trade unions are organisations that represent workers in negotiations with employers over pay, conditions and rights. In the UK, 11 unions affiliate with the Labour Party, representing about four million workers. These unions help fund Labour financially: in the first three months of this year, seven unions donated £1.4m. Union members can vote in Labour leadership contests, and union representatives sit on Labour's National Executive Committee. However, some unions are not formally affiliated. The Trades Union Congress (TUC), the largest federation of unions with 48 affiliated unions, cannot by its own rules affiliate with Labour or endorse it at elections, though it has historic links and close working relationships with the party.
“Explains UK trade unions' relationship with Labour, Reform's overtures and why it matters for workers.”
The roots of the Labour-union link go back to the party's foundation in 1900, when the Labour Representation Committee was created as a political voice for working-class people represented by unions. That bond has loosened over time but remains financially and organisationally crucial. Union sizes have declined since their postwar peak, and internal divisions have emerged: Britain's largest teachers' union, the NEU, is in a dispute with Unite, Unison and the GMB over which union should organise teaching assistants, a row that could lead to the NEU's suspension from the TUC.
For UK readers, these dynamics matter because unions directly shape policies affecting everyday life. The TUC has called on the government to introduce an “emergency social tariff” to cut energy bills for low- and middle-income households by up to 30%, funded by a windfall tax on banks. Union reactions to Reform's overtures also signal political realignment: far from accepting Farage's invite, Unison accused him of a “con”, and the GMB said he and his MPs are “re-badged Tories”. Reform has pledged to scrap Labour's Employment Rights Act, which gives workers rights like sick pay from day one and unfair dismissal protection after six months.
Q: Why would unions ever consider switching allegiance from Labour to Reform UK? Unions are unlikely to do so because Reform has pledged to repeal Labour's Employment Rights Act, which unions see as a key gain for workers. Even though a poll showed Farage is popular among some union members, union leaders say the party's policies are anti-worker.
Q: How much money do unions give to the Labour Party? Unions donate millions of pounds each year. In the first quarter of this year, Labour received £1.4m from seven different unions, with Unison giving £366,936 and Unite giving £392,544 despite Unite being critical of the government.
Q: What is the TUC and what does it want from the government? The TUC is Britain's largest federation of unions, representing 48 affiliated unions. It has called for an “emergency social tariff” to reduce energy bills for 65% of UK households, costing £3.4-5.9bn a year, paid for by a windfall tax on banks.
What happens next is uncertain. Reform has invited union leaders to its party conference in September to discuss policies such as the British Steel pension scheme. The TUC is pushing for the government to adopt its social tariff before a new energy price cap raises bills. Meanwhile, Labour's relationship with unions remains tense: Unite's general secretary said Labour must “stop dithering and be the voice of workers.” Whether the unions' historic ties to Labour can survive Reform’s populist challenge and internal disputes will shape UK politics for months to come.