Labour pocketed more than £1 million from unions amid strikes misery

UK industrial action: What strikes are coming up?

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The Labour Party pocketed £1,028,017.17 in the final three months of 2022 in 40 donations from militant trade unions as they inflicted misery on Britain with waves of strikes including over Christmas. Tory MPs have said that Labour MPs should have declared a financial interest when they opposed strike-busting minimum guarantee legislation introduced by Rishi Sunak to ensure hospitals and schools remained open.

The donations worth thousands of pounds a time were published today by the Electoral Commission today showing that overall Labour has passed the Tories in donations received.

Labour received massive donations from the Communications Workers Union (CWU) who were behind the postal strike over Christmas, as well as Unison and Unite behind other strikes including at hospitals.

Labour also refused to back minimum service guarantee legislation despite Mr Sunak constantly challenging Sir Keir over the issue.

There were calls for Labour MPs to declare their party’s financial interests when they voted against the legislation.

Dudley North Conservative MP Marco Longhi, one of the most prominent red wallers who broke into former Labour heartlands, said: “Just imagine having a Labour Party – so beholden to their paymasters – in charge of the country.

“Who would stand up ordinary working-class people trying to get to work on a train that’s not there, their children into schools with no teachers and medical treatment with no doctors or nurses?

“The Labour Party will always do all the Unions’ bidding. Always.”

Another Red Wall Tory MP Jonathan Gullis, who represents Stoke North, added: “While union barons inflict misery on Britain and live out their socialist fantasy, their chums Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, have been burying their heads in the sand, whilst happily filling their pockets with union cash.

“It is only the Conservatives who are focused on delivering for the people of our United Kingdom; halving inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut NHS waiting lists, and stopping small boats.”

Some of the unions prominent in strikes including the RMT do not donate to Labour but others have helped to bankroll Starmer’s campaigning.

This included £195,875 cash on October 7 from Unison which helped bring hospitals and healthcare to a halt.

GMB, which was behind the ambulance strikes, gave Labour £290,125 in cash on November 15.

The Communication Workers Union behind the Christmas post strikes gave Labour £37,725 in cash in two donations on November 28.

Newly appointed deputy Conservative chairman Lee Anderson said: “It would appear that Sir Keir and the Labour Party are turning a blind eye to the chaos and disruption caused by the strikes in return for large amounts of money.

“I would imagine that people struggling to get to work because of the rail strikes would be quite angry knowing that Labour are refusing to distance themselves from their union paymasters who are heaping misery on millions of people up and down country.”

Labour received £5,054,462 in donations including £1,028,017.17 from trade unions and got an extra £2,119,808 in public funding in taxpayers money.

After going through two prime ministers and installing Rishi Sunak after a coup by MPs, the Tories picked up £4,858,373 getting just £31,833 in public funds.

Express.co.uk has contacted Labour for comment.

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