SHARON GRAHAM made no apology for defending workers today after the Tories called on Labour to reject Unite’s funding over its new leader’s industrial campaign tactics.

Tory Party co-chair Amanda Milling has written to Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds, urging the party to stop taking funding from the union — its biggest donor — because of “intimidatory” and “sinister” leverage campaigning. 

This follows pledges from Ms Graham, who become Unite’s first female general secretary on Thursday, to ramp up the use of the tactics as leader.