Labour Research June 2002

Union news

Labour funding

Sixteen unions gave a total of £806,698 in donations and affiliation fees to the Labour Party centrally in the first quarter of this year. But they were outgunned by individuals who gave £2.48 million, according to Electoral Commission figures.

Three unions gave over £100,000 each. The T&G general union headed the union list with £225,725 followed by shop and distribution workers' union USDAW with £169,849 and the CWU communications workers' union with £138,525.

Smaller sums were received from media union GMPU (£37,250), general union GMB (£36,942), transport union RMT (£31,625), construction union UCATT (£28,813) and community union ISTC (£25,494).

The government minister Lord Sainsbury dominated the individual donations with his seemingly annual gift of £2 million.