A horror story? Unite knows all about those

As generAl secretary of the mighty Unite trade union, sharon graham is a key architect of the industrial action causing chaos across Britain.

graham, who represents ambulance workers set to join nurses on picket lines next month, has shrieked of the tories’ rule: ‘We are witnessing a horror story!’

Well, she knows all about those — starting with her union and its links to a large construction project mired in corruption claims.

Unite’s accounts for 2021 are now six months late at the Certification Office.

normally, this could incur a £20,000 fine, yet the union will apparently be spared the levy.

Why? Well, it’s all thanks to an ongoing police investigation into contracts awarded by Unite for the construction of a 170bedroom hotel and conference centre near Birmingham.

In April, the offices of a senior Unite official were raided by police, who are investigating allegations of bribery, fraud and money laundering in connection with the project.

An independent report, and another into external contracts, has uncovered ‘very serious concerns about potential criminality’.

graham has given both reports to the police and the union’s auditors now say they can’t sign off Unite’s accounts until detectives have closed the investigation.

the hotel cost £98 million to build, although reports suggest — and graham herself admits — that its true value may be a fraction of that.

As one senior tory said to me: ‘to think Unite has the cheek to accuse us of creating a “horror story”. talk about glass houses!’