Why the Workers of England Union is Criticised by Labour-Affiliated Trade Unions

The Workers of England Union (WEU) is often criticised by the large, Labour-affiliated British Trade Unions.

Their hostility comes from one clear fact: we refuse to be controlled by the political priorities of the Labour Party.

Many of the British Labour-affiliated Trade Unions divert money into the Labour Party political funds and the TUC, regardless of whether every member agrees.

The WEU has no political fund. Every subscription we receive is used solely to defend and support workers in England.

This independence makes us a problem for these Labour Party–affiliated Trade Unions, who we believe prefer loyalty to the Labour Party over loyalty to their members. While they bend to party interests, the WEU openly rejects policies that fail workers in England. That refusal to fall in line offends them, because it exposes their unwillingness to stand up for their members when it conflicts with the Labour Party’s agenda.

The Impact of Centralisation

When a political party and trade union is overly focused on British centralisation, the voices and needs of workers across England are sidelined — and that comes at a cost.

The truth is that workers in England face unique challenges that are routinely overlooked by British Trade Unions and Political Parties. Centralisation has meant a one-size-fits-all approach to economic planning, with England too often treated as a resource to be exploited rather than a nation with its own needs.

The cost is clear: lost jobs, weaker investment, and fewer opportunities for young people across England.

Examples of Imbalance

Examples of this imbalance are not hard to find:

• Successive governments have relocated major government departments out of England, including parts of HM Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions to Cardiff and Glasgow (National Audit Office, 2021).
• The financial services sector has seen jobs shifted from London to Edinburgh and Belfast (CityUK, 2022).
• Manufacturing investment has often been steered towards Scotland and Wales, while English industrial areas such as the North East and Midlands were left behind (Institute for Government, 2020).

These policies have drained resources from communities across England, even as workers here are asked to foot the bill. The WEU is not afraid to highlight how England has been treated as a cash cow for the rest of the UK.

Just to Clarify

• Financial services jobs moved from London to Edinburgh and Belfast.
• Government departments relocated to Cardiff and Glasgow.
• Manufacturing investment channelled into Scotland and Wales while regions of England were left behind.

The WEU believes that these Labour-affiliated Trade Unions dislike us for saying this out loud — but it is the truth. Jobs have been moved out of England and this was allowed to happen, to the detriment of workers across England.

Accusations and Reality

When the WEU highlights these realities, we are accused of being divisive. In fact, we are doing what these Trade Unions will not: pointing out that taxpayers and workers across England have too often been treated as a cash cow for the rest of the UK. By refusing to be silenced, we are defending workers who have been ignored and taken for granted.

Our Commitment

The WEU exists to protect and promote the rights of workers in England, free from political interference and outdated allegiances. That stance guarantees criticism from Labour-affiliated unions, but it also guarantees that our focus is clear and undiluted, achieving a fairer deal for the workers of England.