TRADE UNIONS REJECT NIGEL FARAGE'S INVITATION TO JOIN REFORM UK

Trade unions have publicly rejected an invitation from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to cut ties with Labour and affiliate with his party. Farage extended the offer in an interview, saying "if you represent working people in this country, my door is open," and invited union leaders to attend Reform UK's September conference. The invitation followed a poll suggesting Farage was the most popular party leader among trade union members. In a separate social media video, Farage acknowledged there would be "disagreements" between himself and union leaders, but pressed them to attend to discuss policy.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said Reform UK had shown "absolutely no evidence" of being friends of workers, and called on the Labour Party to act as the voice of workers instead. Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said Reform UK had demonstrated its attitude towards working people by pledging to repeal Labour's Employment Rights Act, which became law last year. A GMB spokesperson described Farage and Reform MPs as "re-badged Tories" pursuing union members' rights. Reform UK has pledged to scrap the Employment Rights Act, which grants workers the right to sick pay from their first day in employment and the right to claim unfair dismissal after six months.

Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last month and has stated he would enter any future Labour leadership contest, said Farage had "voted consistently against the rights of workers." The rejection from three of Britain's largest unions represents a unified response across the trade union movement. The Employment Rights Act's future remains a point of direct conflict between Reform UK and the country's major unions.