UNITE has welcomed yesterday’s dismissal of the latest attempt to challenge the legitimacy of Len McCluskey’s re-election as general secretary.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal dismissed an appeal by Gerard Coyne, who lost to Mr McCluskey in last year’s vote.

He claimed that an election should not have been called because Mr McCluskey’s term of office had not expired, but his argument was rejected earlier this year by the Certification Office, which deals with union complaints.

Mr Coyne appealed against that decision but was again unsuccessful.

A five-day hearing is due to held at the end of the month by the Certification Office to consider more complaints from Mr Coyne.

A Unite spokesman said the decision was “a further endorsement that Unite acted in accordance with its rules in holding a general secretary election,” adding that it was “confident it will be further vindicated and that the [next] hearing will show that the union upheld its rules throughout the election.”