It isn't us that will hand the keys to No10 to Reform—it's them
Andrea Egan, newly elected leader of Unison, Britain's largest trade union, arrives at her first conference carrying a warning that cuts to the heart of Labour's political covenant with the working class: promises made in opposition must become policy in government, or the space left behind will be filled by forces far less sympathetic to workers. Her rise — defeating an incumbent in December on a wave of member frustration — reflects a broader reckoning about what loyalty between a party and its movement is actually worth, and what happens when that loyalty becomes a one-way arrangement.
- Labour's relief-fuelled election victory has curdled into disappointment among public sector workers, with cuts to winter fuel payments and delays on child benefit reform landing as betrayals rather than compromises.
- Egan's election as Unison leader was itself an act of rebellion — members choosing a grassroots social worker over an incumbent seen as too deferential to a government that wasn't delivering.
- The threat is not that unions will hand power to Reform UK, but that Labour's own failures are already doing it — pushing disillusioned workers toward a party whose record on workers' rights is far worse.
- Unison will debate its Labour affiliation at conference in Brighton, and Egan has put local government employers on notice: if the 3.3% pay offer isn't improved, strike ballots will follow.
- Egan herself draws a social worker's salary rather than the general secretary's package, donating the difference to the union's industrial fund — a quiet but pointed statement about whose side she is on.
Andrea Egan walks into her first Unison conference as general secretary carrying a message Labour didn't want to hear. She defeated the sitting leader, Christina McAnea, in December — a result that surprised many but reflected something members had been trying to say for months. In her first national broadcast interview, she was direct: the relief that swept Labour to power has curdled into disappointment, and the union is no longer willing to play the role of what she calls a 'sleeping giant.'
Egan spent more than three decades as a grassroots campaigner before reaching the top job, and she describes Unison's previous posture toward Labour as 'subservient.' Her demands are not new — progressive policies, infrastructure investment, pay restoration, better public services, insourcing of contracted work — but her willingness to say them plainly, and publicly, is. Two decisions have particularly stung the membership: the winter fuel cuts and the delay in lifting the two-child benefit cap. These weren't just policy failures in her view; they felt like attacks on the very people funding the party.
The sharpest edge of her warning is this: if Labour doesn't change course, it will hand power to Reform UK — not because unions will enable it, but because Labour itself is pushing people there. She's said as much to ministers directly. The question of formal disaffiliation hangs over the Brighton conference, though Egan says that decision will be left to regional members rather than debated centrally. She has rejected Nigel Farage's overture to unions, calling it tactical and pointing to Reform's record on workers' rights. She has praised Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's emerging left alternative, though it made little impact in May's local elections.
Under her leadership, Unison will be more assertive. She has acknowledged the union has been 'a bit risk averse' and intends to change that — telling local government workers to prepare for strike ballots if their pay offer isn't improved. Strikes remain a last resort, she says, but they are the union's way of refusing to accept crumbs. She started her career in residential care in Bolton, became a qualified social worker, and when she won the general secretary role, she promised to take a social worker's salary rather than the £180,000 package that came with the post. She has kept that promise, donating the difference to the union's industrial fund. Her message to members is simple: when your pay rises, so will mine.
Andrea Egan is walking into her first conference as leader of Unison, the country's largest union, carrying a message the Labour government probably didn't want to hear. She defeated the sitting general secretary, Christina McAnea, in December—a result that surprised many and signaled something the membership had been trying to say for months. In her first interview with a national broadcaster, Egan was direct: Labour came to power on a wave of relief, but that relief has curdled into disappointment.
Egan has spent more than three decades as a grassroots campaigner, and she describes Unison's previous stance toward Labour as "subservient"—the union acting, in her words, like "a sleeping giant." She's not interested in that posture anymore. When I asked her what the government needed to do, she laid it out plainly: progressive policies, infrastructure investment, pay restoration, better public services, insourcing of contracted work. The promises Labour made when it came to power. The things that haven't happened.
But there's a sharper edge to her warning. If Labour doesn't change course—and change it drastically—Egan believes the party will hand power to Reform UK. Not because Unison or other unions will do it, but because Labour itself is pushing people toward it. She's been frank with ministers about this. She's also been frank about the union's own frustration: members have been "handing money over to the Labour Party and getting absolutely nothing in return." Two specific decisions have particularly stung—the winter fuel cuts and the delay in lifting the two-child benefit cap. These weren't just policy failures in Egan's view; they felt like attacks on the movement and its membership.
The question of whether Unison will formally break with Labour hangs over the conference in Brighton this week. Unite, the country's second-largest union, elected Sharon Graham as leader in 2022 on a platform of prioritizing members over political maneuvering. Unite still pays Labour over £1 million annually in affiliation fees, but members will vote next year on whether to cut those ties. Egan herself was expelled from Labour for reposting content from Socialist Appeal, a Marxist group the party has since proscribed. But she insists she never chose to leave—she was pushed out. She says Unison will discuss its relationship with Labour at conference, but won't formally debate disaffiliation. That decision, she says, will be left to regional members. She's also rejected Nigel Farage's offer to unions to affiliate with Reform instead, calling it a tactical move and pointing out that Reform's record on workers' rights and protections suggests they'd be worse.
Egan has praised Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's Your Party as offering a left-wing alternative, though it made little impact in May's local elections. Her reading of the situation is that Labour's failures are now being punished not by the left but by Reform—a grim irony. She's also keeping pressure on Labour over issues close to her heart. She's written to the prime minister, lobbied parliament, and held rallies on migrant workers' rights. When Andy Burnham, a potential future Labour leader, recently said he welcomed the "broad thrust" of the home secretary's immigration changes, Egan expressed concern. But her message, she said, would be the same regardless of who leads Labour.
Under her leadership, Unison will be more aggressive. She's signaled that the union has been "a bit risk averse" about taking action, and she intends to change that. Strikes remain a last resort, but she's already told local government workers to prepare for ballots if their 3.3% pay offer isn't improved. "Strike action is our way of saying to employers we won't just accept crumbs from the table," she said. She started her career in residential care in Bolton, where she still lives, and became a qualified social worker. When she campaigned for the top job, she promised to take a social worker's salary rather than the general secretary's package, worth around £180,000. She's kept that promise—drawing considerably less and donating the difference to the union's industrial fund and charity. Her message to members is simple: when your pay rises, so will mine.
Citas Notables
When Labour came into power there was a sense of relief. But sadly we've been left wanting.— Andrea Egan
It isn't us that will hand the keys to No10 to Reform—it's them, unless they change course. And drastically.— Andrea Egan
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
You've been in this union for decades. What changed between McAnea's leadership and yours that made members vote you in?
Members were frustrated. They felt the union was too comfortable with Labour, too willing to accept whatever the government offered. I think they wanted someone who would actually fight.
But you're not calling for disaffiliation from Labour. Why keep the relationship if it's this broken?
Because I still believe in the Labour Party as a project. But belief doesn't mean acceptance. We need to show them what happens when they ignore working people. The conference will decide, region by region, what we do next.
Reform is offering unions a home. Farage is making a play for you. What's the appeal, and why reject it?
The appeal is obvious—they're offering an alternative to Labour's failures. But look at what Reform actually does. They'd gut pensions, attack workplace protections. We'd be trading one disappointment for something far worse.
You're threatening strikes over a 3.3% pay offer. That's confrontational. Are you worried about pushing Labour further away?
I'm not threatening anything. I'm being honest about what members will do if they're not treated fairly. Labour needs to understand that goodwill runs out. We've been patient. Now we need results.
What does a Labour government need to do to win back your members?
Deliver on what they promised. Real investment in public services, pay restoration, better conditions. And stop attacking us. That's not radical. That's just keeping your word.