UK — Simon Dubbins, an international director with Unite since 2008, has secured the necessary nominations to challenge Sharon Graham for the position of general secretary of Unite. Dubbins is scheduled to announce this development on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

Dubbins' campaign reported the backing of more than 250 workplaces. "Our campaign for a new start for our union has won overwhelming backing from our organised membership in half the usual time," Dubbins said. "Members are tired of old divisions and frustrated with a leadership more obsessed with playing political games than stopping job losses and the attacks we face."

Dubbins stated that Unite had failed to do enough to challenge Reform UK and had a "unique responsibility to heal divisions, win workers back from the false promises of Farage, and ultimately stop a Reform government."

"Reform will never be on the side of working people," Dubbins said. "From council workers to migrant workers, our members are under attack. Our union will defend you and we will take the fight to Reform and the far right."

Dubbins said workers could not "be abandoned as the Vauxhall Luton workers were or the miners were before them." He added: "We are sceptical of any plan that does not start with that."

"That is the unity we need to build on to win a genuine workers' transition that safeguards jobs," Dubbins said. "I'm very proud to be nominated by union branches of refinery and manufacturing workers as well as those working to tackle climate change."

Ballots for the Unite general secretary election will be distributed to more than 1 million members on July 14, 2025. The voting period will conclude on August 11, 2025, with results expected to be announced on August 14, 2025.