Unite the Union have overwhelmingly rejected proposals to disaffiliate from the Labour Party, with members voting to stay within the tent at their Rules Conference in Brighton this morning. Their continued support will supposedly come at a price…

Speaking after the vote, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham warned:

“This is the moment of maximum leverage for the union where we can hold Labour to account. Now cannot be the time to walk away. We would be weakening our own arm.

It would be the worst time to leave the Labour Party when they are in touching distance of power, if we leave we wouldn’t influence that power.

Labour must be Labour and the union must push them into that position we must make them take different choices. We will not make the same mistakes of the past there will be no blank cheques for Labour until we see tangible results.”

Unite added they were “put[ting] Keir Starmer on notice” with the vote, and “he must deliver on jobs, pay and conditions if he wins power at the next election“. Labour’s paymaster threatening – once again – to tighten the purse strings…