The Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) all-Britain steering committee met after the May 1st elections and agreed a report on the results – which is now available at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/2025-results-report.pdf.

The main theme of the steering committee discussion was how the profound alienation of working class voters from establishment politics that the results revealed – with Reform, at this stage, the chief beneficiary – required an urgent response from the trade union movement. 

But, it was emphasised, this cannot be the merely denunciatory approach adopted during the May elections of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak and other union leaders.  Acknowledging, as Paul Nowak did in an April 27th interview, that “of course there’s a lot of disillusionment with mainstream politics” but then only offering ‘advice’ to Sir Keir Starmer not to suffer “any sort of crisis of confidence with a 170-odd seat majority”, just plays into Nigel Farage’s hands.  What’s needed instead is an authoritative working class alternative at the ballot box. 

Trade union petition

To this end the steering committee agreed to back a new petition launched by 25 current and former trade union national executive members from eleven unions calling for steps to be taken now to establish a new political voice for working class people.

Under the heading, ‘Time for trade unions to take the lead in building a new working class party’, the petition text reads:

“The May 2025 election results show the need for a new party that the working class can trust”. 

“Stagnant wages, underfunded public services, the scandal of the housing crisis, Labour councils pursuing fire and rehire, cuts to pensioners’ winter fuel allowance, reductions in disability benefits, and continued government support for Israel’s murderous campaign in Gaza – and all under a Labour government.  Labour isn’t Labour anymore, and Reform UK is becoming a significant beneficiary of working people’s anger”. 

“We, the undersigned, believe it’s time for the trade union movement to seriously discuss founding a new anti-austerity, anti-war party.  Our movement will be weakened if workers see us as a voice for pro-austerity Labour.  We call for urgent discussions within our union and across unions to organise a conference to establish a political voice for working people”. 

“The Establishment has four parties – it’s time the working class had one of its own”.

The aim now is to build up the number of signatories of trade unionists from every level of our movement to add weight to the campaigns already under way in different unions for independent working class political action.  The petition can be signed online at https://www.change.org/TradeUnions-LaunchANewParty and the template to print out paper versions to use at meetings, demonstrations and so on is available at https://www.tusc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Petition-template.pdf.

A Reform spokesperson responded to Paul Nowak’s attack by claiming that he was “lashing out” because “workers are ripping up their trade union membership to join Reform”.  That’s certainly an exaggeration for now.  But it is a warning of the dangers ahead if the unions are seen as apologists for the Labour government and its austerity II agenda.

It really is time for the trade unions to take the lead in building a new working class party. ■