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.