Why the election of a new leader of Unite matters to Keir Starmer

If Gerard Coyne takes over from Len McCluskey, what will it mean for the Labour Party, asks John Rentoul

There is no doubt that the Labour Party leader wants Gerard Coyne as the union’s next general secretary (PA)

Len McCluskey’s successor as general secretary of Unite the union will be announced on 26 August, after an election which could mark a turning point for the union, the Labour Party and the country.

Gerard Coyne, who narrowly lost to McCluskey four years ago, tells The Independent that he is “quietly confident”. This time, his opponents are divided. Steve Turner, McCluskey’s favoured candidate, is still the bookmakers’ favourite, but his path to the succession is complicated by the intervention of Sharon Graham, who describes herself as a candidate of the “independent left”.

Turner’s other rival for the McCluskeyite inheritance, Howard Beckett, withdrew from the election after intense discussions that some say ended in a deal to allow Beckett a clear run in a few years’ time.