Unite Community will go if Sharon Graham re-elected

Sharon Graham plans to scrap the Unite’s popular Community section for unwaged members if she wins the union’s 2026 general secretary election, according to union insiders.

In its place, her opponents say, Graham intends to focus on her own ‘campaigns’ section whose best idea seems to be dressing up.

Unite Community, set up by Graham’s predecessor Len McCluskey, is one of the union’s most active — and politically engaged — sections. Its workers, freed from the workplace, often bolster protests and picket lines.

But presumably because it was set up by McCluskey and doesn’t fit with her ‘workplace-only‘ pitch, Graham has never seemed to value the section. She already moved in 2024 to cut it out of representation at the top of Unite and is now said to be planning to finish the job if she wins re-election.

Dubbins promises to value and protect at Unite

The plan has been picked up by Graham’s rival in the contest, Simon Dubbins.

In stark contrast to Graham, Dubbins is known to see Unite’s essential role for its members as far wider than just the workplace. He suffered for this when Graham suspended him after he refused her demand to cancel a pro-Palestine ‘fringe’ at Labour’s 2023 conference.

Dubbins has put out a message specifically for Unite Community members, promising that if he wins, they will be valued and protected.

Fancy dress

Graham’s pet project is Unite for a Workers Economy’ (UWE), but it is no replacement for Unite Community. Indeed, its critics say the best idea it has come up with is wearing fancy dress for photo opportunities.

In Birmingham, a Labour council is attacking the wages of low-paid workers and Unite has failed to resolve the dispute. UWE dressed up as robbers and posted some pics.

Dubbins has, rightly, also made a wider Unite return to politics central to his pitch to members. Workers and the country suffer when unions do not use their whole power on behalf of ordinary people to prevent harmful laws and practices. Dubbins seems to get this.

Anti-genocide, anti-Reform?

The differences are much wider than the approach to politics. Publicly, Graham has been almost invisible on the issue of Palestine and Israel’s genocide. She has, though, been seen plenty advocating for a bigger UK arms industry.

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, she has been accused of by disgusted members blocking activists from supporting the anti-genocide movement on behalf Unite.

Graham has also held ‘secret’ talks with far-right Reform. Her lack of political engagement and education has seen support for the far-right mushroom in the union.

Dubbins is a very different proposition. Already once suspended after holding a Palestine fringe, he is a regular attendee at pro-Palestine marches.

And while Graham has cosied up to Reform, Dubbins has come out strongly against Farage’s neo-fascists and their nonsensical claim that they have any interest in helping the working class.

Anti-union union boss

Despite being a union boss, Graham has been accused of using appalling, anti-union tactics against workers employed by Unite, leading to repeated strikes. In many cases, these tactics have been seen as Unite’s attempts to protect her husband, Jack Clarke.

Soon after her accession in 2021, Graham created a new Bargaining and Disputes Support Unit (BDSU). Outside of the union’s usual procedures, Clarke was appointed to run it despite being on a final warning for bullying and misogyny.

Graham’s faction has staged counter-demonstrations against striking workers and attacked their union reps.

The union’s lawyers explosively admitted that Unite, after Graham took over, destroyed evidence gathered by workers of Clarke’s bullying and misogyny. Graham had asked colleagues to ensure its destruction before she took over, but this had not been done.

Use it or lose it

Through her paid organisers, Sharon Graham has a stranglehold on many workplaces and will be considered favourite to win the election. Her faction was able to keep control of the union’s executive earlier this year.

Unite Community can’t vote in ‘exec’ elections, but they can, at least for now, vote in the general secretary contest.

The attack by union bosses on the participation of non-working members is a growing phenomenon. The TSSA rail union moved in early 2026 to disenfranchise its retired members, who were previously its most active. Unite threatens to go the same way.

Unite elections are decided on extremely low turnouts of around 5-10% of a membership insiders say is collapsing under Graham.

If Dubbins runs a half-decent campaign on Palestine and politics as well as workplace issues, then the 20,000 or so Unite Community members could be decisive. If they value having a section to belong to at all, let alone a union that stands up against injustice in Gaza and across UK society, not a single Unite Community member should be backing Graham.

Featured image via Facebook/ Sharon Graham