Unite GS election latest

All you need to know about the GS election timetable and how Unite members can vote for the next Unite general secretary

Reading time: 3 min

The 2021 Unite general secretary election is now underway. The current general secretary, Len McCluskey, will step down from office and the successful candidate will assume office at the conclusion of the election.

The general secretary is responsible for the administration of the union; their powers and responsibilities are set out in Rule 15. The election for the general secretary is conducted by the Executive Council in accordance with Rule 16.

In accordance with the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 Civica Election Services; have been appointed to act as Independent Scrutineer for this ballot. CES can be contacted at the following address: The Independent Scrutineer, Civica Election Services, Election Centre, 33 Clarendon Road, London N8 0NW.

The election timetable is as follows:

From Monday 5 July ballot packs which include a ballot paper and election addresses from candidates have been sent by post to members eligible to vote. The election statements include a list of the valid nominations from branches and workplaces for each candidate.

Deadline for voting papers to be returned to the Independent Scrutineer: Monday 23 August 2021 at noon
Declaration of results: Thursday 26 August 2021

Candidates’ electoral communications

There are three candidates in the election. You can read their electoral communications by following the links below:


Ballot Enquiry Service

Members who have not received a ballot paper by Friday 30 July 2021 should contact the ballot enquiry service by e-mail or by phone: 0800 783 3856 (0818 333 155 from the Republic of Ireland; +44800 783 3856 from Gibraltar or overseas).

Ballot notice for workplaces

A ballot notice which can be displayed on branch and workplace noticeboards is attached as a PDF to download and print locally. Paper copies of the ballot notice will be sent to branch secretaries and will also be available from your regional office.

Further updates

For the latest updates, visit this page. Further details on the 2021 Unite general secretary election will be published in due course or find out more details from the special 2021 Unite general secretary election website.

By UniteLive team

Related Articles