Open letter to the Trade Union Congress Executive Committee
Trade unions must lead the fight against the far right
We are writing as trade unionists from across the movement, confronted by the most pressing threat the labour movement has faced in recent memory - and to call for our national leadership to act.
The British far right is stronger than perhaps at any point in history. We have seen months of racist agitation outside hotels housing asylum seekers, attacks at places of worship, and possibly the largest racist rally in British history marching through London in September. Reform has been leading the polls since 2024.
The far right are preparing to take power. If they do, it will be a disaster for working class people. A Reform government would attack our right to organise, further restrict unions and crack down on protest. They would spout far right lies about migrants and drive a programme of mass deportations. They would push their 'anti-woke' agenda, including climate change denial, transphobic hate and opposition to abortion. They would push an aggressive budget of cuts, gut what remains of our social security and push working class people further into poverty.
We know that refugees on small boats, women controlling their own bodies, and LGBT+ people existing, are not why we are struggling. Years of neoliberal economics, and a decade-and-a-half of crushing austerity, have shattered our communities, attacked our living standards and crippled our public services.
Unions must offer an alternative, better vision for society, leading the confrontation with the far right threat and standing shoulder-to-shoulder under a working-class political platform - to take on the rich and powerful, building homes and investing in jobs and public services for everyone - and not compromising an inch on the rights of any marginalised people.
For decades, however, we have outsourced the fight against the far right to external organisations that present no political alternative - offering them financial support and publicity, and speaking at their rallies, but not organising or educating members.
On 13th September, this left just a few thousand anti-fascists facing Tommy Robinson’s far-right mobilisation of over 100,000 - with minimal trade union presence, despite TUC endorsement, and a dangerous reliance on police protection. This model of organising and outsourcing can neither build the numbers we need, nor keep them safe.
It is positive that union leaders appear more serious about directly building the Together Alliance demonstration on March 28th. But more is needed, including serious reflection on our movement's shortcomings. It is simply not enough to hold a rally for platitudes about 'love' and 'hope'. The far-right has to be defeated politically, with sustained organising in workplaces and communities.
We need the kind of leadership that defeated the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s and the British National Party on the Isle of Dogs in the 1990s. At its 2025 session, the TUC committed once again to coordinating trade unions to counter the far right. Action - not more empty words and outsourcing - must follow.
Tommy Robinson has called another mass demonstration in central London on 16 May. As branches and activists, we will build for a trade union-led counterdemonstration, but it is imperative that the resources and organising power of our national leaderships take the lead.
To this end, we call on the TUC Executive Committee to:
Announce and lead the mobilisation for, rather than simply endorsing, a counter-demonstration against Tommy Robinson’s protest on 16 May - and future far right protests. This must be under a working-class political platform that explicitly calls for massive investment in services, infrastructure, homes and jobs for everyone, funded by taxing the rich - while directly countering any scapegoating of marginalised groups, supporting the rights of all migrants and calling for the full repeal of the anti-union laws. Although other groups will form part of this coalition, the TUC - or at least some national leaderships - must lead.
Take responsibility for recruiting defensive stewarding from the ranks of trade unionists to support these demonstrations, and provide them with basic training so that our demonstrations can be organised to defend their own legal rights and their own safety - from the far right and, if necessary, the police.
Oversee ongoing work, beyond protests, to equip and organise our millions of members to counter the far-right politically day-to-day - in our workplaces and communities, with unionisation drives and campaign material that promotes working class solidarity, public investment and taxing the rich in answer to the politics of the far right.
To be sent Monday, 30th March.
add your name:
Signed By:
Puck Oseroff-Spicer, PCS SIA, Chair and London & Southeast Regional Committee, Chair
Damon Burton, Unite, Epping Trades Council
Ella Wragg, Unite Section of Architectural Workers, Co-Chair
Rose Baker, PCS R&C Croydon Regional Centre Branch and London & Southeast Regional Commitee, Vice Chair
Mark Crawford, PCS DESNZ, Vice Chair and London & Southeast Regional Committee
Ewa Pospieszynska, NUJ London Digital Media Branch
George Wheeler, UNISON Lambeth, Young Members
Heledd Muir-McCann, PCS ONS
Kieren Guice, Unite
Jordan David, PCS , PCS Home Office Group Assistant Secretary
Roman Raynes, Unite NW/109, Branch Secretary
Frankie Coultas, PCS DfT London and South East, Southampton and SW Hampshire Trades Council
Paola Santostasi, P1102069 ARMS (retired and previously in PCS)
Declan Clune, Unite the Union Southampton, Secretary
Mayuri Deshmukh, Unite Peterborough, Osh Reilly, UNISON Birmingham
Melanie Dent, Unite Berkshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Community branch
Chris Brody, Unite LE523
Gabriel Neil, PCS Scottish Government
Rebecca Hunter, PCS ALB, Branch Chair
Clara Paillard, Unite NW522 / Not For Profit Sector, Branch Secretary
Clive Walder, CWU and Unite
Ben Towse, UNISON Camden UNISON, Shop Steward
Daniel Randall, RMT Bakerloo line, Assistant Secretary
Jemma Garvey, PCS MoJ Staffordshire, Assistant Secretary
Marcella Soalla-Bell, Unite Enfield community, Equality Officer
Emma River-Roberts, UCU
Tom Harris, PCS DWP SELLS, London and South East Regional Committee
Ian Moss, Unite Bristol, Member
AC Baker, IWW West Midlands, Member
Steve McKenzie, Unite Greenwich Lewisham and Bexley Community, Secretary
Jasper Bailey, Unison Suffolk County
Tom Killick, Unite Community
Richard Lawley, Pcs Darlington, Green Rep
Will Stephens, Unite Section of Architectural Workers
Adam Temple, UNISON Wakefield, Communications Officer
Rebecca Nelsey, Unison Sheffield community health,
Paul Foley, UNITE L&S Community
Richard Crook, CWU GLC
Kelly Rogers, FBU London Control, Rep
Russell Hickman, Unite Northants Community, Chair
Rosemary Kate Hughes, Unison Greater Manchester, Member
Arran Benzie, Unite, ACORN
Emma Cochrane, Unite NW/522
Janine Booth, NEU City of Leicester, Disabled Educators’ Officer
Steve Davis, Retired
Ken Small, Unison
Joel Cartwright, Unison NHSBSA, Environmental Officer
Steve Yandell, Unite LE1267
Cuba Litterick, GMB GMB Holborn
Dave Putson, UNITE GLAB, Treasurer
Warren Elliott, PCS Metropolitan Police, Disability lead
Devika Edwards, RMT Bakerloo Branch/LTRC, Assistant Chair, H&S rep and ULR
Tyrone Falls, Unite University of Bath, Vice Chair (pc)
Paul Wilding, Unison Oxford City
Clare Winter, Unison Tower Hamlets
Elijah Wisken, NEU Kingston Upon Thames, President
Jez King, NEU Waltham Forest
Mary Reape, Unite Community Chesterfield & N Derbyshire
Charmaine Evens, NEU Eastern, Leadership
Luke Woodward, NEU Bath and North East Somerset, District Secretary
Donna Jones, RMT Poole and District Bus, Chair
Daniel Murgatroyd, Unite
Duncan Morrison, NEU Isle of Wight, District Secretary
Jane Ridley, NEU South East
Andy Warren, FBU Bethnal Green Branch, Secretary and North East London Area, North East London Organiser
Nigel Grant, UNISON Lambeth
Dave Barter, NEU Rochdale, International Solidarity Officer
Marc Batchford, Unison Birmingham
Ben Clay, Greater Manchester Tenants Union Unite NW/389, Community Organiser
Juniper Losh, Prospect
James Bartholomeusz, Unite LE1267
Dave Herbert, Unite Greenwich, Lewisham and Bexley
Martin Bove, Unite NW/70202
Athene Dilke, PCS Efra London and South East Branch, BEC ordinary member
Liat Norris, PCS
Nick Doyle, PCS R&C Portsdown Vectis, Chair
Matilda Adjagba, Unite NfP, Branch Secretary
Jessica Howard, Unite Financial Conduct Authority, Workplace Representative
Gen Williams, Unison UCL
Tony Wright, Unite Community
Martin Wood, Unison Kingston University
Marie Kerrigan, Unison Hackney
Jess Cowper, NEU Richmond Upon Thames, NPYW Officer
Dave Murphy, UNITE Teesside and Durham Unite Community, Chair
Fi Weldin, PCS
Billy Howle, Equity Kent, Member
Floyd Codlin, PCS Arms
Amina Mangera, Unite Greenwich Lewisham and Bexley Unite Community
Kopiga Kugananthavel, PCS London HQ Branch and London & Southeast Regional Committee
Claire Hallam, BDA London, Dietitian
Michael Holland, NEU Lambeth, Assistant Secretary
Steve VINCENT, Ex nut, nuht, bus, nur
Maria Chaffey, Unite London & Eastern, Rep
Amy Dominian, PCS DfT, Organiser
Jackie Lederer, Unite Community
George Howatt, UNISON
Cormac Kelly, NEU Kirklees, Committee member
Anthony Gard, NEU, retired
Mark Jones, Unite the UnionCommunity
Linda Greatorex, UniteSE/6217, Branch Chair
Don Flynn, Unite Greenwich, Lewisham & Bexley Community
Dan Goss, CWU UTAW
Billy Hipwell, NEU Redbridge, Rep
Bill Stockwell, NEU Redbridge, Assistant Secretary
Graham E Korn, NEU
Langelihle N Dube, NEU Nottingham
Sally Griffiths, Unison NCA Health, Assistant Branch Secretary
Sarah Sheriff, UCU ALL, Branch Secretary
Kathy Karavas, Unite Community Croydon
Shamara Gilchrist, Unison Gloucestershire
Minesh Parekh, Unite the Union
Manish Maisuria, Unison DMU, Equalities Officer
Glyn Oliver, Unite Community Southampton Unite Community
Jan Cuerden, Unite South East
Margaret Fricker, Unison Southampton Hospitals
Ishret Damani, Unison Hampshire, Black Members Officer
Gareth Paul Nelson, Unite North West
Amanda Wakely, Unison Eastleigh, Equalities Officer
Richard Abernethy, UniteSE/100R8, Secretary
Ellen Graubart, Unite Community, South East
Chris Goulart Mc Nerney, PCS Ofgem Branch Chair, Energy & Climate Group President, Scottish EC Deputy Convenor
Meg Todd, PCS Assistant Organiser and Rep
Hugo Pierre, UNISONCamden, Ex-NEC
Matthew Lee, Unison UCL, Convenor
Arif Khaliq, PCS Croydon
Ruth Gilburt, NEU Bromley
Ted Watson, PCS ARMS
Simon Tempest Brown, Unite
Richard Edwards, PCS ARMS Eastern, Secretary
Winston Murray, PCS ARMS, Treasurer
Rachel Gallagher, Unite Kent
Julie Webster, PCS, Industrial Representative
Anthea Jones, NEU Cambridgeshire, Early Years Officer
Edwina Thomas, Unison Leeds
Roxanne Johnson, UNISON East Midlands
Bernadette Ellis, Unison Manchester, LGBT+ OFFICER
Judy Furmston, Unison Cumbria, Lgbt+ Officer
Liam Crawford, UNISON West Cheshire, LGBT+ & Assistant Branch Secretary
Aiden Fraser, UNISON Manchester and North West, Steward and Trans Members Officer
Erin Oliver, Unison Knowsley, Workplace Representative
Lesley Lancelott, UNISON Manchester Local Gov, NW Regional Women's Committee
Hajrah Ullah, Unison Manchester, Rep
Dawn Warriner, UNISON Manchester, LGAssistant Branch Secretary
Tamara Parker, Unison Greater Manchester Transport, Equality Officer
Clare Ashton, Unison Knowsley, Work place rep
Jonathan Lilly, Unison LBTH local government, Convener, housing and regeneration