DEPUTY Prime Minister and Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner has been suspended from the Unite union.
And it threatens to reassess its alliance with the Labour Party over her support for Birmingham’s bin strike dispute.
The motion, passed overwhelmingly at its Brighton conference on July 11, marks a significant rupture between Labour’s leadership and one of its largest union backers.
Members accuse Ms Rayner of collaborating with Birmingham City Council, currently under fiscal commissioners, and supporting a pay cut restructuring affecting about 150 refuse workers.
The changes, which Unite insists amount to “fire and rehire,” could see impacted staff lose up to £8,000 annually.
In a fiery speech, general secretary Sharon Graham accused Ms Rayner of siding with “rogue council” tactics and failing to use her influence to resolve the industrial action.
Sources close to her and the party say she quit Unite months earlier, describing the suspension as a “stunt.”
They emphasise her long-standing commitment to workers, especially on equal pay issues.
Unite, however, maintains she remained listed in the union’s records as of their conference.
It pays Labour about £1.5 million annually. However, its motion also commits to re-examining financial ties, possibly reducing or halting donations, though disaffiliation would require member support.