Hard-left union boss Len McCluskey savaged for his links to Jeremy Corbyn as rival announces bid to dethrone him as Unite chief
Gerard Coyne threw down the gauntlet with a blistering assault in the battle for Britain’s biggest trade union
UNION baron Len McCluskey was savaged for his links to Jeremy Corbyn as a rival at Unite announced he would be standing against him.
Gerard Coyne, an activist from the West Midlands, threw down the gauntlet today with a blistering assault on the loathed hard-liner in a battle for Britain’s biggest trade union that is set to reignite Labour’s bitter civil war.
The moderate lefty says the current Unite boss is too focused on being hapless party leader Mr Corbyn’s puppet master to focus on the needs of his members.
Mr Coyne hopes to sweep to victory on the support of thousands of workers in the defence industry outraged by peacenik Mr Corbyn’s anti-Trident stance.
But a senior Labour Party source warned “he doesn’t have a cat’s chance in hell” of dethroning Mr McCluskey in April’s showdown.
The announcement came as Mr Corbyn was under intense pressure to distance himself from militant unions hell bent on ruining Christmas for thousands of Brits
He infuriated MPs by championing posties who want to grind festive mail services to a halt.
And he was also under fire for refusing to distance himself from train drivers’ union Aslef, who have bankrolled his leadership campaigns and are spearheading rail misery across the south of England.
Since Mr Corbyn was elected leader, the Labour Party has received £11,177,227.58 in trade union donations, including more than £60,000 from Aslef.
The union also funded Mr Corbyn’s two leadership bids to the tune of £20,000.
Tory MP Henry Smith hit out: “It is deeply disappointing that Labour has failed to condemn these strikes and overlooks the impact they will have on the travelling public.”
Gerard Coyne, who has been a Unite regional secretary for 11 years, said the union should be focusing on the needs of members over key issues such as pay and conditions, not politics.
He said: "We represent working people and maybe that focus has been lost in recent times.
"Certainly it's my intention to make sure it's brought back to being full square on what Unite does."
He also said the union would "always support the Labour Party" but that if it "genuinely represents the world of work, then all political parties will listen to us - not just the Labour Party".
A union officer for 20 years, Mr Coyne added: "I wouldn't be standing for general secretary if I didn't think change was necessary.”
The contest was triggered by Mr McCluskey giving notice of his resignation before immediately announcing he would be standing for a third term as general secretary.
He had been expected to stand down at the end of his current term in 2018, but if he wins the forthcoming leadership ballot, Mr McCluskey would still be in post at the next general election in 2020.
In a statement, he said: "I intend to be a candidate in the upcoming general secretary election and to submit my record to the vote of Unite members."