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Unite members elect union's first female leader, Sharon Graham

SHARON GRAHAM has won the race to be Unite’s next general secretary, becoming the union’s first female leader, it was announced today.

Ms Graham takes over from Len McCluskey, who has been at the helm since 2010.

She saw off a challenge from Steve Turner, the candidate of the union’s United Left, and forced Gerard Coyne, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s pick, into third place.

Out of nearly 125,000 votes cast, Ms Graham, from Hammersmith, west London, took 46,696 votes, ahead of Mr Turner, who polled 41,833.

Mr Coyne, runner-up to Mr McCluskey in 2017, came up short again, with 35,334 votes.

A fourth candidate, Howard Beckett, withdrew from the race earlier this summer to help avoid a split in the left vote.

Congratulating the winner, Mr McCluskey said: “Sharon comes into office at a time of great uncertainty for our members and a challenging political environment.

“But I know that she will build on our values and harness the talents of our great union in the service of our members and movement.”

Ms Graham said: “I am honoured to have been elected by our members, and I understand that the trust that they have placed in me brings with it tremendous responsibility.

“As general secretary, I will put all the power of our union into defending their jobs, improving their pay and protecting their rights. 

“Bad bosses take note. A strong Unite is the best defence that our members can have — my focus now is to build that strength.”

After 20 years in the union — firstly in the Transport and General Workers’ Union before the merger to create Unite in 2007 — Ms Graham became executive officer of its organising or “leverage” department.

It has won several major victories, including in a fire-and-rehire dispute with British Airways last year. Ms Graham is currently leading a campaign against Amazon for union recognition. 

Welcoming the result, Momentum co-chair Gaya Sriskanthan said: “Unite members have made their voices heard.

“They want a union that organises, that builds power in the workplace, and that uses its leverage to take on bad bosses.

“Sharon campaigned on that promise and we fundamentally agree that any route to progressive change in Britain requires working-class organisation to be stronger than ever before.”

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