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Labour leadership: Unite executive votes to support left-winger Jeremy Corbyn Labour leadership: Jeremy Corbyn wins backing of Unite in blow to Andy Burnham
(about 1 hour later)
Leaders of the country's biggest trade union have voted to back Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership. Jeremy Corbyn, the left-wing candidate in the Labour leadership race, has won the backing of Unite, the country’s biggest trade union, in a setback for the front-runner Andy Burnham.
The executive of Unite chose the left winger ahead of Andy Burnham, who was second preference. Unite is the third union to support Mr Corbyn, who is running on an anti-austerity ticket. He has also been nominated by the rail union ASLEF and the bakers’ union BFAWU. The GMB and Unison, the other big unions affiliated to Labour,  will decide whether to endorse a candidate by the end of this month.
The decision is a big boost for Mr Corbyn, who has been well received at hustings involving trade unions in recent weeks. Mr Corbyn, MP for Islington North, is winning the warmest response from Labour members at hustings debates around the country. There is growing speculation that he could push one of the other three candidates into fourth place. There is criticism of the Labour MPs who nominated him to ensure he secured the necessary 35 MP backers to stand even though they will not vote for him.
Mr Corbyn told the Press Association: "It is a great honour to receive Unite's nomination, and it underlines that this a serious campaign that has growing momentum. Some Labour moderates said Unite’s decision would call into question the party’s link with the unions. They fear a respectable showing by Mr Corbyn  would send a damaging signal to voters that the left is alive inside Labour. But union sources saw Unite’s move as revenge on Labour for supporting spending cuts and an attempt to stop the party shifting to the right.
"The leadership election is about one issue above others: whether we accept another five years of a race to the bottom based on cuts that destroy services and damage living standards, or whether we invest our way to a growth and fairness. Mr Burnham, the shadow Health Secretary, had hoped to win strong support of the unions after waging a high-profile campaign against alleged “NHS privatisation.” However, Unite softened the blow by making him their second choice. This could prove important because Labour uses a preferential voting system, in which members can list candidates in order of preference.
"I also want to thank other unions who have nominated me - Aslef and the BFAWU - and for the endorsement of two unions not affiliated to Labour, the FBU and the RMT. Trade union members are the men and women whose money worries and anxiety for the prospects of their children, are now the every day reality of these Tory austerity years. The whole of trades union history has been based on protecting people from austerity. The unions will enjoy less influence than in Labour’s 2010 leadership election, when they tipped the balance for Ed Miliband in his wafer thin victory over his brother David. Then union members enjoyed a third of the total votes but the party has since adopted a “one member, one vote” system under which trade unionists will have to become affiliated Labour members to get a vote in the contest.
"Without trade unions there would be no equal pay-act, no minimum pay, no Labour Party. Unite’s 63-strong executive committee decided on Sunday not to nominate a candidate in Labour’s deputy leadership race, but will recommend that its members support Tom Watson and Angela Eagle in their first and second preference votes as they see fit.
"Trade unions are a force for good, a force for prosperity and we should listen to them more. Borbyn said: 'Trade unions are a force for good' (PA)
"For Labour to win again it must show it is on the side of the majority. Mr Corbyn said: “It is a great honour to receive Unite’s nomination, and it underlines that this a serious campaign that has growing momentum.” He added: "The leadership election is about one issue above others: whether we accept another five years of a race to the bottom based on cuts that destroy services and damage living standards, or whether we invest our way to a growth and fairness.”
"I thank Unite for their nomination, not just for myself but for all those people who have already brought their time, efforts and hope to my campaign." The veteran MP said: “Trade unions are a force for good, a force for prosperity and we should listen to them more. For Labour to win again, it must show it is on the side of the majority.”
The veteran left-winger only gained a place in the race thanks to a last minute rush of support from MPs before the nomination deadline closed, with many admitting they were only backing him to widen the debate. He added: “Without trade unions there would be no Equal Pay Act, no minimum pay, no Labour Party.”
But Mr Corbyn's radical stance has won him the support of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union and many on left of the party.
The possibility of the MP for Islington North winning the leadership battle has excited some Conservatives, who think that a more left-wing Labour will be an electoral gift for their party.
Mr Corbyn warned against those backing the "Tories for Corbyn" campaign in which supporters of the Government are signing up to vote in the leadership contest for £3 as a registered Labour supporter, under changes to the voting system introduced by Ed Miliband.
The possibility of Corbyn winning has excited some Tories (PA) Asked about the campaign on BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics, Mr Corbyn said: "If people do not support the Labour Party and do not wish to vote Labour, either in future elections or have done so in the past, they should not be registering as Labour supporters, it's not an honest thing to do.
"It's not as easy as you think because those that sign have to give an undertaking that they support the aims and principles of the Labour Party, I think that's important.
"And if they have identified themselves in the last election for example as supporting another party, then clearly one questions their motivation in this."
Press Association