Labour Link works directly within the Labour Party to take UNISON’s policies and priorities into the heart of the party.
Labour Link works at local and national level and have a network of Labour Link officers at branch, regional and national levels. Labour Link also works with other unions who are affiliated to the Labour Party to deliver on our shared priorities.
Labour Link is the section of UNISON’s political fund where hundreds of thousands of UNISON members have joined to ensure that UNISON members have a strong voice in the Labour Party.
You can read the most recent Labour Link Annual Report, outlining all of the work carried out by UNISON Labour Link here.
The operational rules that govern the work of Labour Link at all levels can be found here.
National Labour Link
The National Labour Link committee is made up of NEC members and regional representatives who are elected to the committee for a two year term. The committee is responsible for matters relating to the Labour Link fund and UNISON’s relationship with the Labour Party (other than those matters delegated to the Forum and regional committees). The Chair of the National Labour Link Committee is Linda Hobson, and the Vice Chair Siân Stockham.
Mark Ferguson is the Head of Labour Link, and leads the team responsible for Labour Link work at a UK-wide level. You can contact the National Labour Link team here.
Labour Link at a regional level
Every UNISON region (except Northern Ireland) has a Labour Link Officer who works with the regional Labour Link committees.
Regional Labour Link committees include responsibility for developing regional campaigning priorities, nominating candidates within each region and ensuring that UNISON’s priorities are heard within regional and local Labour Party structures.
They are also the first point of contact for UNISON’s involvement in Labour Party activities in each region. The regional Labour Link officers are:
Eastern: Sam Older
East Midlands: Nadeem Samari
Greater London: Joel Bodmer
Northern: Paul Foy
North West: Lynne Morris
Scotland: Simon Macfarlane
South East: Louise Barter
South West: Siobhan Brown
Cymru/Wales: Steve Belcher
West Midlands: Jim Price
Yorkshire and Humberside: Tony Pearson
Labour Link Forum
Labour Link Forum is the annual meeting of Labour Link, bringing together delegates from regions and self-organised groups to debate and discuss Labour Link’s priorities for the year ahead, hear from – and lobby – leading Labour politicians and work collaboratively across the whole union to deliver for our shared priorities within the Labour Party.
Our most recent annual Labour Link Forum was held in July 22. You can read the motions that were passed at that Forum here.
In 2023, Labour Link Forum will be held on July 7th (venue TBC).