THE contest to succeed Len McCluskey as general secretary of Unite has begun, with four candidates announcing their intention to stand.

Steve Turner, the union’s United Left candidate, and fellow leftwingers Howard Beckett and Sharon Graham will stand alongside rightwinger Gerard Coyne, who lost to Mr McCluskey in 2017.

Candidates will need 174 branch nominations to proceed to July’s ballot, with the result expected in late August.

Mr McCluskey, who has led Unite since 2010, described his impending retirement as “a bittersweet moment.”

Mr Turner, who, along with Mr Beckett and Ms Graham, is one of Unite’s assistant general secretaries, played a leading role in negotiating the furlough scheme with the government that has protected millions of workers’ jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “I’ve been unemployed and know what it’s like to lose your job [and] struggle to pay bills.

“It’s my life experiences that drive me. We will not allow the pandemic to be exploited by opportunistic bosses to boost the riches of profitable companies.”

His Charter for Change includes proposals to put more power into the hands of local branches and to set up a new Unite Assist app to provide 24/7 support to the union’s members.

Mr Beckett, who has been highly critical of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership, said: “This is a critical time for workers across our regions and nations and I know they expect strong leadership from Unite. 

“We know that this rabid Tory government is hell-bent on making workers pay for this health crisis, just like they made workers pay for the bankers’ crisis. I am determined to stop that from happening.”

Ms Graham, who is leading Unite’s campaign to win rights for Amazon workers and, if elected, would the union's first female leader, pledged to be the “back to the workplace” candidate.

“If Unite is to face the massive challenge of fighting for jobs [after the pandemic], it must be built at the workplace as never before. New times demand new ways to defend workers,” she said. 

“Our Amazon campaign is an indication that Unite will become a real fighting force in the battle against union-busting employers if I become [leader].”

Unite is Labour's biggest financial backer, but the union cut its affiliation dues by 10 per cent last year amid signs of growing discontent with the party’s direction under Sir Keir.