A HARD-left firebrand last night won the leadership of one of Britain’s biggest trade unions in a huge blow to Sir Keir Starmer.
Underdog Sharon Graham became Unite’s first female general secretary.
She received 46,696 votes, with Steve Turner on 41,833 and moderate Gerard Coyne on 35,334.
Ms Graham was backed by the Socialist Workers Group and Momentum, cheerleaders for ex-Labour boss Jeremy Corbyn.
The news is a huge headache for Sir Keir, whose preferred candidate was Mr Coyne. Unite is one of the biggest Labour donors.
Ms Graham has led recent disputes at British Airways and Crossrail as well as campaigning to unionise Amazon. She took part in her first walkout aged 17.
In a statement, she warned Sir Keir that the union would be shifting direction under her leadership. She said: “Unite members have spoken. They want change.
“They have rallied, in their tens of thousands, to our demand Unite should get back to the workplace and deliver what it says on the trade union tin — a relentless fight for jobs, pay and conditions.
“I stand for a fight against the gross injustices that blight the lives of our members, and British and Irish society as a whole.
“What is happening to workers all over Britain in the cascade of ‘fire and rehire’ threats being issued by rogue employers is only one recent example of these injustices.”
