UNISON’s National Labour Link met Friday in Newcastle. This is a gathering of UNISON delegates that pay into the Labour Link that will decide the unions policy in the Labour Party. Whilst most of the packed agenda was already set weeks ago there was only really one topic on people’s minds, namely the prolonged coup. Members at the forum were nearly all supportive of Jeremy’s leadership and unanimous in their belief that the actions of those in the PLP that were plotting was wrong.

The key note speech by Dave Prentis left the hall in no doubt that our union stands right behind Jeremy’s Leadership.

Dave Prentis stated that “last year our Labour Link committee voted to support Jeremy Corbyn for leader – it was the right choice for our members, our party and our country.” This gained huge applause from the delegates. Dave went on to praise Jeremy for repositioning the party as an anti-austerity party opposing privatisation and cuts and also supported his position on scrapping Trident.

The backing being given to Jeremy today was not just out of personal loyalty or for outrage for what had happened although that was clearly part of it, but because Jeremy’s policies chime with UNISON’s own policies and Jeremy is popular among the the union and party membership.

There were are calls for the whole of the Labour Party PLP to start working together and UNISON offered to play a role in bringing both sides together to take the fight to the Tories, but it was with the clear view that Jeremy remains leader and if there was a Leadership ballot, as Dave Prentis also made clear, “Jeremy will be on it.”

Angela Rayner, Shadow Secretary for Education and Shadow Secretary for women and equalities also spoke to the forum to express her disappointment about the situation. Angela made clear it was a shame that despite our effective opposition in which we have managed to “rolled back’ many Tory policies around Housing welfare and Trade union act, some MPs were more interested in infighting than taking on these issues.

Any hope from the coup plotters that the trade union support is falling way has been proven categorically not to be the case.

Andrew Berry is a member of the UNISON National Labour Link committee