Unite the Union UK found to have broken the law, resulting in £66 million write-down

The UK branch of Unite the Union has been found to have broken the law, resulting in a write-down of £66 million in the organisation’s accounts.

Auditors found a failure to ensure proper financial procedures were followed within the UK union, with the £66 million hole relating to the construction of a hotel development for the union in Birmingham.

It is also alleged that the contractors paid for football tickets and arranged private jet flights for former general secretary, Len McCluskey.

Auditors described a culture throughout Unite which failed to comply with legal requirements to maintain effective control of its accounts.

The Union has 1.2 million members in the UK, and represents close to 5,000 workers on the Rock.