Unite leadership challenger's complaint about foreign nationals 'highly irresponsible', campaigners warn

The trade unionist challenging Len McCluskey for the leadership of Unite has been accused of running a “highly irresponsible” and “populist” campaign after he blamed foreign nationals living in the UK for contributing to job insecurity.

Gerard Coyne said on Monday that “the presence of a very large number of foreign nationals” in the UK was putting pressure on British workers at a time of austerity.

The3million pressure group, which campaigns for the rights of the three million EU nationals living in the UK, said many of the EU nationals voting in the Unite leadership election would not trust Mr Coyne and his “anti-immigration” credentials to represent them.

​Open Europe, the successor to the official Remain campaign, additionally suggested Mr Coyne was going against the wishes of trade unionists, who “overwhelmingly” backed single market membership.

Maike Bohn, spokesperson for the group, told The Independent: “Gerard Coyne’s comments are highly irresponsible.

“His populist attempt to get votes on an anti-immigration ticket completely disregards both the fact that EU immigration is beneficial to the UK and that the biggest risks to UK jobs are automation and deregulation.

“Many of the3million group are members of Unite and certainly won’t trust him to represent them fairly and intelligently.”

James McGrory, co-executive director of Open Britain, said: “Trade unionists across the country overwhelmingly back British membership of the single market as best for jobs, prices and prosperity in Britain.

“Free movement cannot continue as it has done but we should be seeking to mend, rather than end, the system. People’s legitimate concerns about immigration can be addressed without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

Mr Coyne’s challenge to Mr McCluskey’s leadership of Britain’s biggest trade union has been widely portrayed as a proxy war for the Labour party, with the challenger backed by anti-Corbyn Labour centrists and Mr McCluskey seen as an ally of Mr Corbyn.

Unite is Labour’s biggest financial backer and Mr McCluskey has mostly stood by Mr Corbyn – though he did last week suggest the Labour leader might stand down if polls failed to improve.

Mr McCluskey’s challenger made the comments about immigrants in a series of messages posted on social media on Monday.

“I’ve spoken to many Unite members who voted for Brexit – they expect the promise of an end to uncontrolled EU immigration to be kept,” Mr Coyne said.

“The presence of 2.9 million nationals of other EU countries impacts differently on different sections of UK society.

“It has brought huge benefits for some. Some employers in agricultural industries have thrived on the ready supply of cheap, seasonal labour.

“We’ve all benefited from EU citizens working in public services like social care and from cheaper goods (e.g. food) that come from their work.

“For Britons facing job insecurity, the presence of a very large number of foreign nationals adds to pressures on them at a time of austerity.”

The millions of EU nationals living in Britain face uncertainty about their futures in the country, with the Government having repeatedly refused to guarantee they will not be sent home.

The comments follow a proposal by incumbent general secretary Len McCluskey for restrictions to be placed on firms that hire EU nationals directly from abroad.