Unite leader Len McCluskey cleared of breaching union rules in general secretary election

Claims that Len McCluskey, a close ally of Jeremy Corbyn, breached union rules when he was re-elected as Unite leader have been dismissed.

The general secretary of one of Britain's biggest unions, Unite, had been subject to a series of complaints from Gerard Coyne, who was defeated by Mr McCluskey in the union's bitterly-contested elections last year.

But on Friday the certification officer, the regulator for the UK's trade unions, told those involved in the hearing that there was no breach of rules, adding: "None of the complaints succeed and they are, therefore, all dismissed."

Jeffrey Burke QC is expected to publish his full response to the 10 complaints publicly on Wednesday.

The union described the decision as an "emphatic victory" for Unite and means the prospect of a re-run of the April election is now off the cards.

Mr McCluskey won the contest in 2017 with 45 per cent (59,067) of the the union's members' votes compared with 41 per cent (53,444) for his closest rival, Mr Coyne.

Gail Cartmail, the assistant general secretary of Unite, who was acting head of the union during the election, described the decision on Friday as the "correct one".

"This is an emphatic ruling that ought to draw a line under matters once and for all, allowing this union to do what it does best, defend the interests of its members," she said in a statement.

Ms Cartmail said the judgement was a "damning indictment" of Mr Coyne's campaign for the general secretary position, adding: "Those who have attempted to smear this organisation for their own ends should hang their heads in shame.

"Gerard Coyne and his supporters should reflect upon whether the manner in which they have conducted themselves reflects the values of our members and whether they have any place in our movement."

Responding to the decision, Mr Coyne said: "I'm obviously disappointed by today's ruling. I'd like to express my thanks to everybody who voted for me last year and to those who have supported me over the past year, particularly my family."