The GMB has always had a political element to its campaigning work and was one of the founder unions of the Labour Party.
Since the 1980s the GMB has had to ballot our members every 10 years by law to ask them whether the union should continue to hold a fund which is used for political campaigning. The last ballot was in 2014 when 94% voted in favour of maintaining a political fund.
The political fund is not party political. It is vital that the GMB is able to lobby and influence governments of any political party. Holding a political fund is essential to enable the GMB to campaign on a variety of issues like stopping privatisation of the NHS, campaigning against academies and free schools, against tax avoidance and evasion, for government investment in industry for example the steel industry and doing anti-fascist and anti-racist campaigning.
GMB members have recognised that this is a vital part of the role of trade unions and GMB should maintain the political fund. This is why they have voted consistently and overwhelmingly to keep the political fund.
GMB MPs within the Southern Region include:
- Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP- Tooting
- Marsha De Cordova MP - Battersea
- Rosie Duffield MP - Canterbury
- Clive Efford MP – Eltham
- Sarah Jones MP - Croydon Central
- Siobhain McDonagh MP – Mitcham and Morden
- Stephen Morgan MP - Portsmouth North
- Matthew Pennycook MP – Greenwich and Woolwich
- Steve Reed MP — Croydon North
- Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP - Brighton Kemptown
GMB London Assembly Members include:
- Tom Copley AM - London Assembly Member (Londonwide)
- Florence Eshalomi AM - London Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark
- Fiona Twycross AM - London Assembly Member (Londonwide)
