Skip to main content
Job vacancy with the National Education Union
Can unions fight racism yet support Starmer, audience asks at TUC conference
(From left to right) National Education Union leader Daniel Kebede, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak, NASUWT’s Patrick Roach, and Napo’s Ian Lawrence, at the TUC's Racial Discrimination and Equality Conference, December 4, 2024

TENSIONS over whether unions can effectively fight racism if seen to be too close to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party were aired in a Q&A with trade union leaders today.

The mainly black audience raised questions over Labour authoritarianism, support for Israel’s war against the Palestinians and a recent uptick in anti-immigrant rhetoric.

GMB member Ali Haydor said it felt as if unions were “cherry-picking when to fight, when not to fight” and asked for consistency.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Telling ‘Silk Road stories’ for a multipolar world
Features / 19 September 2025
19 September 2025

Morning Star editor BEN CHACKO reports from the start of Kunming’s Belt and Road media forum, where 200 journalists from 71 countries celebrated a new openness and optimism, forged by China’s enormous contribution to global development

Protesters marching in Epping, Essex after a temporary injunction that would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel, was overturned at the Court of Appeal, August 31, 2025
Anti-Racism / 13 September 2025
13 September 2025

Morning Star editor BEN CHACKO reports on TUC Congress discussions on how to confront the far right and rebuild the left’s appeal to workers

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC speaking at the TUC congress at the ACC Liverpool. Picture date: Monday September 11, 2023
Workers' Rights / 10 September 2025
10 September 2025
Similar stories
Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during a press conference on the Immigration White Paper in the Downing Street Briefing Room in London, May 12, 2025
Eyes Left / 14 May 2025
14 May 2025

Just as German Social Democrats joined the Nazis in singing Deutschland Uber Alles, ANDREW MURRAY observes how Starmer tries to out-Farage Farage with anti-migrant policies — but evidence shows Reform voters come from Tories, not Labour, making this ploy morally bankrupt and politically pointless

Stand Up to Racism Sabby Dhalu co-convenor speaks at a side
Stand Up / 2 March 2025
2 March 2025
Farage's far-right party seek to scapegoat migrants to weaken workers' rights, Stand Up to Racism conference warns
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking during the Reform UK
Editorial: / 6 February 2025
6 February 2025
An anti-racism ‘Unity Over Division’ counter-protest in
TUC Racial Discrimination and Equality Conference ’24 / 4 December 2024
4 December 2024