Next Thursday, the voters of Batley and Spen will go to their polling stations ostensibly to pick their next MP — but at the same time, could decide the ultimate fate of Keir Starmer. If Labour lose the by-election, his leadership will face a whole new level of trouble. Yet despite the importance of this contest, there is another one that is about to properly kick-off that is even more key to Labour’s future — the race to become the next general secretary of Unite.
The current general secretary of the largest trade union in Great Britain, Len McCluskey, is rightfully infamous. During his reign, he has tried to pull Labour to the left using his influence as the head of what has been the party’s largest donor — and succeeded to an extent that would have seemed impossible when he took over in 2011. Whoever fills his shoes will have be equally influential over the Labour party and its direction over the next decade.
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