The GMB is weighing up its Labour donations

Union voting on Labour support

Union voting on Labour support

Members of the GMB union are voting today on whether it should continue to financially support the Labour party.

Labour get £1 million a year in affiliation fees from the union, and up to £0.8 million a year in donations to constituency parties, but the group’s congress will today evaluate whether the money is being well spent.

A GMB spokesman told politics.co.uk the debate was not solely about public sector pay.

“Various constituency parties get 20 grand a year from us,” he said.

“And congress is asking what we get for the money. Is it worth it?”

The votes will come in a series of motions from various GMB branches, all concentrating on the link between Labour and the union.

The debate is expected to take about an hour and a half, with results expected around 17:00 BST.

Labour is facing a severe financial crisis and any move by its main funding route – the unions – to block further donations will put the party in a perilous position.