Why British Trade Unions Should Follow the Workers of England Lead...

...And Not Fund the Labour Party

A Message from Stephen Morris, General Secretary of the Workers of England Union (WEU)

Between 2019 and 2025, Britain’s largest Trade Unions such as UNISON, Unite, GMB, USDAW, CWU and others contributed millions to the Labour Party. Across a Parliament, British Trade Unions provide roughly £9 million a year — including about £6.5 million in affiliation fees and £2.4 million in direct donations.*

In 2023 alone, British Trade Unions gave around £5.8–£5.9 million to Labour, and in the run-up to the 2024 General Election, contributions totalled £5.6 million. Even after the election, between January and March 2025, they still supplied £1.15 million of Labour’s £2.4 million income for that quarter.*

This long-standing relationship has helped keep Labour financially afloat for over a century — yet it raises a simple question: What has the Labour Party delivered for working people across England in return?

Why the WEU Chooses Independence

Despite the scale of Trade Union support, England’s wage inequality, insecure work, underfunded public services, and fair representation remain unchanged. The link that once guaranteed political representation for organised labour now looks increasingly like a one-way transaction.

The Workers of England Union has never funded political parties, choosing to remain neutral and put members first. The WEU has no political fund and is not affiliated with any political party.

This stance is liberating; it frees the WEU from the shackles of party politics, allowing focus on what matters most: strong, independent representation and campaigns that genuinely improve members’ lives.

Redirecting Trade Union Funding

If British Trade Unions are serious about renewing the movement, like the WEU has done, they must consider a different use for their money. Isn’t it time the Trade Unions such as UNISON, Unite, GMB, USDAW, CWU, and others, who bankroll party politics, became politically neutral and put their members’ interests first before bowing to party priorities?

Redirecting just £9 million a year could have real, measurable impact. It could fund large-scale campaigns to defend workplace rights, organise new sectors, and challenge exploitative employment models.

It could also build dedicated programmes to develop young workers’ skills across England, apprenticeships, and access to new technologies — areas often neglected by employers but where Trade Unions could lead.

Why Political Independence Matters

An independent Trade Union movement, free from automatic party funding, would have the freedom to speak for all workers, regardless of political alignment. The future of Trade Unionism should be about building collective power and improving members’ lives directly, not sustaining a political machine that too often takes their support for granted.

The question for Trade Unions today is not whether they can afford to keep funding the Labour Party — it is whether workers across England can afford for them to continue.

In Conclusion

Stephen Morris, General Secretary of the Workers of England Union, asks:

“Just imagine: if the Trade Union movement redirected that £9 million each year to a single area where workers across England genuinely need support — in ten years, nearly £100 million would have been invested directly into improving working lives.”

“Please ask your family, friends, and colleagues to join us. Why? Because the WEU doesn’t spend your subscription money funding a political party. We spend it on protecting your working rights and ensuring non-employer-paid representation.”

* All financial figures are based on publicly available data from sources including the UK Parliament Committees, the Electoral Commission, and media outlets (2023–2025). Totals are approximate and may vary depending on reporting periods and disclosure methods.

Workers of England Union (WEU)
Standing for independent Trade Unionism and real representation across England.