UK unions demand action on big donations but reject agreed cap
Trade unions have warned against the “Americanisation” of British politics after Reform UK received a reported £72m from two cryptocurrency billionaires.
UK trade unions have called for stronger action on large political donations after Reform UK received a reported £72m from cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne.
In a joint emergency statement at the Trade Union Congress conference, union leaders warned that unprecedented political spending could damage public confidence and allow wealthy donors to buy influence.
The unions stopped short of endorsing a cap on individual donations, with general secretaries divided over whether to support a specific limit. The statement did not set out an agreed alternative.
Trade unions affiliated to Labour, including Unite, Unison and GMB, are major donors to the party. The TUC defended that funding as being drawn from workers’ collective subscriptions and subject to democratic control and regulation.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called for further action, pointing to concerns about transparency and the influence of billionaires. She said the reported donations to Reform were not comparable with union funding because they involved individuals rather than collective contributions.
Communities secretary Angela Rayner also rejected Reform’s comparison between the donations and trade-union contributions to Labour. The debate follows earlier union opposition to limits on individual donations, partly because of concerns that a future right-wing government could restrict union funding.
