Trade union Unite severs ties with long-term supplier over criminality concerns
One of the UK’s largest and most powerful trade unions has severed ties with a long-term supplier due to concerns it may have been involved in criminality.
Unite the Union, which is the Labour Party’s biggest donor, has told staff the decision is “primarily due to the risk of committing an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002”.
The company, which Sky News is not naming for legal reasons, said it “recently assisted the police with certain investigations” but “no charges of any nature have been brought against any person in any way associated or connected with our company”.
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“[We] categorically deny that there has been any wrongdoing of any sort on the part of this company or its staff”, it said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Unite confirmed the decision and told Sky News: “The union is sharing and will continue to share any pertinent information we obtain about these matters with the police and other relevant authorities.
“The general secretary is committed to ensuring that no stone is left unturned in uncovering the truth about these matters and taking whatever steps are necessary to protect our members’ interests.”
Gail Cartmail, Unite’s assistant general secretary, revealed the union’s move in an email to staff and cited the pressure of “a round of ongoing investigations”.
Police raided the union’s central London headquarters in April as part of a bribery, fraud and money laundering investigation.
Officers left the building with boxes of files, paper and a computer, and the union later confirmed that a Unite employee is subject to a criminal investigation by the police.
A separate KC-led inquiry is underway into the spending of £100m of members’ money on a controversial hotel and conference centre.
General Secretary Sharon Graham, who took over from Len McCluskey in 2021, ordered the investigation after forensic accountants concluded the building’s value was “considerably lower” than its construction costs.
Sharon Graham ‘determined to clean up’ union rocked by corruption claims
Sharon Graham is the sole reason we now know so much about the nature of Unite’s internal problems.
.
Since taking over from Len McCluskey as the union’s General Secretary in 2021, she has presided over the very opposite of a cover-up.
In ordering a KC-led inquiry into one scandal and severing ties with a controversial contractor, she has demonstrated a determination to clean-up an organisation rocked by corruption allegations.
Allies describe her as “tough and thorough”.
She will, however, be judged not on what these twin investigations reveal, but how she holds those responsible to account.
Sky News understands the shortfall amounts to approximately £70m.
Unite has more than 1.2 million members across several sectors, including construction, logistics, manufacturing and transport.
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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