Trade union leaders and Labour MPs have reacted with fury to Nigel Farage’s invitation for unions to affiliate with Reform UK.
The extraordinary call by Mr Farage came after recent polling suggested that Reform may have as many if not more trade union members than Labour.
But Britain’s biggest union Unison and prospective Labour leadership candidate Wes Streeting have led a backlash against the invitation, warning that Reform has opposed workers’ rights and would scrap thousands of public sector jobs if they won power.
In a provocative invitation, Mr Farage posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Reform is now the party of workers. Today I am inviting trade unions to apply for affiliation with Reform UK.
“We also welcome union leaders to attend our national conference in September and engage in discussions about the policies of a future Reform government.”
He said Reform is the party of “pay cheque Britain” and accused Labour of being more interested in paying out more welfare to people who are not working.
However, in a response, Unison, the UK’s biggest union warned: “Reform UK isn’t the party of workers. It voted against workers’ rights; would cut thousands of public sector jobs; scrap the Equality Act; and weaken NHS and social care staffing.
“Their tax plans benefit the richest most—like their millionaire backers.”
Mr Streeting added: “Farage has the audacity to vote consistently against the rights of workers and then claim he’s open to trade unions. The Labour movement needs to take the threat from this snake oil salesman seriously.
“We don’t need polls. Look at election results last month.”
Currently, 11 trade unions are affiliated to Labour but both Unison and Unite have reduced their support in recent months.
Polling has revealed that working class people are consistently more likely to vote Reform than Labour who are proving to be more attractive to wealthier groups.
A recent poll by JL Partners found Labour and Reform were tied with 28 per cent of the union vote each.
Other trade union leaders echoed the warning of Unison.
The GMB general secretary, Gary Smith said: “Mr Farage and his Reform MPs say one thing to workers and do another.
“They voted against sick pay and other essential safeguards. They even want to prevent people organising to make work better at places like Amazon. We see them for what they are – rebadged Tories after union members’ basic rights.”
FBU general secretary Steve Wright said: “Farage’s deputy Richard Tice has repeatedly stated that Reform wants to raid the pensions that firefighters and other public sector workers have paid into.
“Firefighters and other workers will see this ludicrous stunt for what is by a party led by multi-millionaires that is a threat to the working class.”
TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “The interests of working people are not safe in the hands of Reform UK, a party whose leaders want to protect their own interests at the expense of everyone else.”
The gambit could also backfire on the right, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch consistently claiming that Reform “is not a real Conservative Party”.
She has accused Mr Farage and his party of backing leftwing measures, such as more welfare in scrapping the two-child benefit cap and supporting nationalisation of utilities.
