Leader of Britain’s biggest 
union re-elected until 2018

Len McCluskey of Unite received over 144,000 votes compared with almost 80,000 for his rival candidate, Jerry Hicks.

The result was much closer than expected, with the turnout just over 15 per cent.

Mr McCluskey has been general secretary since the end of 2010 and had two years of his term to run, but decided to hold a ballot now to avoid a re-election poll clashing with the general election in 2015.

He will now be leader of Unite until 2018.

Mr Hicks, from Bristol, is an unemployed rank-and-file member of Unite.

He received 163 nominations to stand in the election, compared with over 1,000 for Mr McCluskey, who said: “I’m deeply honoured that members have once again put their faith in me to lead their union.

“We are living in extraordinary times with workers facing unprecedented attacks on their living standards and their rights at work.

“Thanks to this government of millionaires, work is becoming less secure and austerity threatens the social fabric of our great nation.

“Now more than ever working people need a union which will stand up for them.

“From construction and the London buses, to the food industry and car manufacturing, Unite members have shown what can be achieved when working people stand together with the backing of a modern union.

“And in the NHS, our membership is growing as workers seek a strong voice to defend what we as a people have built, paid for and value.

“Unified and freed from the distraction of an internal election in 2015, I pledge to focus my energies on the fighting for members and defeating this Tory-led government.”

Mr McCluskey received a total of 144,570 votes, with 79,819 for Jerry Hicks.

There were 1,412 invalid ballot papers.

The Conservatives said Mr McCluskey’s re-election would ensure that Labour remained “clueless” about dealing with Britain’s deficit.

“Electoral Commission figures show Labour got a third of its cash from Len McCluskey in the last quarter alone.

“So Ed Miliband will continue to agree with McCluskey that the only solution to too much debt is more borrowing, more spending and more debt,” he said.