Unite leadership contender Gerard Coyne calls on Sun readers to oust Red Len in final day of campaigning
Today is the last day Unite members can post their ballot papers
A LEADERSHIP challenger battling to wrestle Britain’s biggest union back from the hard left today issues a final call to Sun readers to tip the balance.
It is the last day Unite members can catch the Easter post and send off ballot papers to elect their new boss before the race closes next week.
Writing for The Sun today, Gerard Coyne insists Sun readers can inflict the killer blow to oust the general secretary ‘Red Len’ McCluskey – Jeremy Corbyn’s key backer.
Polling by moderate Mr Coyne’s campaign has found The Sun is the paper most read by Unite members, with 300,000 seeing the nation’s most popular newspaper every day.
Saying he is “appealing directly” to them, the senior Unite official writes: “More Unite members read The Sun than any other paper.
“That’s why you can make all the difference in this, the most important union election in recent history.”
Dubbing Sun readers as “the backbone of Britain”, Mr Coyne also accuses Red Len of trying to cut them out of the key election battle.
He adds: “Len McCluskey doesn’t want Sun readers to vote or even know about this contest.
“But I believe all our members should have their say.”
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Commentators say the two way fight’s result rests on a knife-edge.
Mr Coyne’s chances hang on how many of Unite’s one million ordinary members he can persuade to turn out.
The contest has also been dubbed key to leftwing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s future.
Mr Cluskey is his biggest bankroller, and has channelled tens of thousands from Unite’s coffers to fund his leadership struggles.
Mr Coyne has pledged to end Unite’s interference that has seen the giant union prop up the 67 year-old veteran Socialist despite his record-breaking unpopularity with voters.
He adds today: “My message to members has been simple, it’s time to focus on delivering a union that works for them - tackling the real issues they face, not playing Westminster power games”.
The month-long ballot closes on April 19 at noon, and the result will be declared on April 28.