The leader of Unite, one of Britain's largest trade unions, is reportedly facing an internal rebellion due to her critiques of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's Net Zero agenda. Sharon Graham has consistently opposed Miliband's ban on new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, labeling it "an act of self-harm."
Graham has also advised against Miliband potentially becoming Chancellor if Labour leader Keir Starmer were to become Prime Minister, stating such a move would be "a noose around the neck" of job creation. However, her stance has generated unease within the union, with claims that her anti-Miliband and pro-drilling position is inadvertently aiding Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage.
A senior trade union source told The Guardian that Graham's interventions are "boosting Farage and his crypto backers" and that her criticism of Miliband played directly into the hands of the Labour Right.
This internal dissent coincides with Graham facing a challenge for the leadership of Unite from Simon Dubbins, a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's executive committee. Dubbins stated that his campaign has garnered significant support from organized members, who are reportedly "tired of old divisions and frustrated with a leadership more obsessed with playing political games than stopping job losses."
Dubbins further claimed that Unite, under Graham's leadership, is not doing enough to challenge Reform UK and emphasized the importance of the green economy in securing well-paid, long-term jobs for union members. He called for a "genuine workers' transition that safeguards jobs" and expressed pride in being nominated by refinery, manufacturing, and climate change workers.
Graham's earlier comments, made during a period of Labour leadership uncertainty, urged Andy Burnham not to appoint Miliband as Chancellor. She expressed disagreement with Miliband on "almost every issue relating to a workers' transition," arguing he focuses too narrowly on accelerating Britain towards Net Zero without sufficient consideration for jobs, skills, and national security. Graham stated that a Labour Chancellor should possess a vision that nurtures British industry and recognizes its importance as a global industrial force.
Unite, with its 1.2 million members, will conduct its general secretary vote between July 14 and August 11, with the results announced on August 14. Sharon Graham is seeking a second term after being elected as the union's first female general secretary in 2021.