UK’s largest union elects leftwinger who was expelled from Labour

Andrea Egan, a leftwinger expelled from the Labour party in 2022, has been elected as the new general secretary of Unison, the UK's largest trade union. Egan won nearly 60% of the members' votes, defeating incumbent Christina McAnea, who maintained close ties between Unison and the Labour party. The election, announced Wednesday, signals a potential shift in Unison's relationship with Labour. Egan's leadership, beginning next month, could lead to reduced financial contributions to Labour and even formal disaffiliation, following a similar move by the Unite union. Egan's expulsion from Labour stemmed from sharing Socialist Appeal articles on social media, an action the party deemed unacceptable. The change in leadership raises questions about the future of the Labour party's relationship with its affiliated unions.

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