The Labour Party may not be soaring ahead of the competition as the polls suggest after union leaders storm out of a meeting regarding the Party’s manifesto on workers’ rights.
Labour Party’s Manifesto Blow
The Labour Party has been dealt a major blow after releasing its election manifesto.
Sunak Slams Labour’s Election Prep
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been pushing the idea that the Labour Party “Has no plan” on the public for many months, which gave Labour an opportunity.
Sir Starmer’s Opportunity
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer eyed an opportunity to release the manifesto early, in order to prove to the country that it does indeed have a “plan.”
Labour’s Allies Skeptical of Plan
However, now that the manifesto has been released, some of the Party’s most trusted organisations have expressed reservations
Labour’s History at Risk
Labour is historically connected with the country’s working Unions, and one major allied donor is Unite, although this year will be different.
Unite Refuses Labour Endorsement
After the manifesto was released, Labour’s largest donor, Unite, refused to endorse it, which dealt a huge blow to the Party’s fundraising campaign.
Unite’s History With Labour
In 2019, Unite donated £3 million to Labour’s campaign despite the Party losing to the Tories. The decision not to endorse the manifesto came as a shock to many.
Unite Sticks to Its Guns
According to reports, Unite were largely happy with the manifesto, although one important policy meant that the union simply couldn’t endorse it.
“Hire and Fire” Policy a Factor
The Labour manifesto’s “hire and fire” policy was too important for Unite to ignore, causing a stir among union leaders and resulting in the organisation’s backing out.
Employment Concerns Prompt Unite’s U-Turn
Zero-hour contracts are a major concern for unions, with Unite arguing that it could not endorse Labour’s manifesto unless the Party made a huge change.
Unite Calls to End Zero-Hour Contracts
Unite called on Labour to completely abolish zero-hour contracts or face losing them as donors, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer backed his Party’s plan.
Backing Labour’s Manifesto
Sir Starmer insisted that the Party’s manifesto was “a very good package for working people,” which is the Party’s number one voting target.
Manifesto Levels up Rights, According to Starmer
Starmer claimed that the manifesto is “the biggest levelling up of rights at work for a very, very long time” before describing the policies.
Focusing on Economic Growth
Starmer insisted the policies are about “the respect and dignity” that “everyone should have at work. But it’s also crucial to our plan for growth.”
Breaking away From Old Stereotypes
Labour has been insisting for months that the Party has now changed from its old reputation of economic mayhem and anti-semitic behaviour.
A Changed Labour
Sir Starmer has repeatedly insisted that “this is a changed Labour Party” while recognising the mistakes of the past.
Unions Leave Meeting with Discontent
Now concerns arise that Labour has changed not for the better, as union leaders left a meeting with Labour Ministers feeling unenthusiastic about the future.
Labour Accused of Having Tory Policies
One union, Momentum, issued a statement that compared the new Labour Party to the Tories, accusing them of having similar policies on workers’ rights.
Kicking out Tory Policies
A union spokesperson insisted, “We need to kick out not just the Tories but Tory policies as well.”
Election Concerns After Union Unrest
A lack of cohesion with unions could affect Party fundraising and, potentially, votes ahead of the July 4 election.
The post Labour Faces Election Setback as Key Donor Walks Away first appeared on Swift Feed.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Rupert Rivett.
For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.