Opinion | Angela Rayner suspended by Unite: A principled stand or short-sighted?

It’s easy to see why Unite is furious. Bin workers in Birmingham have been offered a raw deal – pay cuts of up to £8,000, blocked negotiations, and a process that the union describes, with reason, as “effectively fire and rehire.” Their anger is justified and their members deserve better.

Last week, after growing frustrated with a lack of support from Labour chiefs, the union held an emergency motion and "overwhelmingly voted to re-examine its relationship with Labour". It also suspended Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's membership of the union, alongside local Labour figureheads in Birmingham.

“Unite is crystal clear it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette", the union said.

"Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.